Cronobacter Support
04-27-2009, 10:44 AM
1st International Conference on Cronobacter Poster Abstract 7
Application of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to characterize and control the transmission of Enterobacter sakazakii in an infant formula processing facility
Enterobacter sakazakii (Cronobacter) has been associated with life-threatening infections in premature low birth weight infants. Since the first reported case of E. sakazakii neonatal meningitis published in 1961 several outbreaks of infection have been documented. Enterobacter sakazakii is an ubiquitous organism and although its exact mode of transmission has not been fully elucidated, powdered infant formula (PIF) has been epidemiologically implicated in several clinical cases. E. sakazakii contamination of PIF and its processing environment were evaluated during monitoring conducted between April 2005 and March 2006 in a PIF processing facility producing 17,000 tonnes of base powder and 22 million 900 g cans of PIF per year. All isolates were cultured on selective medium, biotyped and checked by ‘real-time’ PCR to confirm identification. PFGE macrorestriction profiles using XbaI were generated in each case. A dendrogram was produced using the BioNumerics software programme. All isolates cultured were confirmed by conventional and molecular methods as E. sakazakii. PFGE analysis revealed the existence of several clusters of indistinguishable DNA profiles within the PIF production facility. These isolates were mapped to specific problem areas. This information would aid the development of more powerful targeted intervention measures for its exclusion form the PIF processing chain. Since PIF is not a sterile product, and to reduce the risk of infection, microbiological control of E. sakazakii in the production environment is essential. This study identified of problem areas within the production environment that required careful intervention. In addition PFGE was applied to further characterise the strains recovered and to establish any potential dissemination routes. Controlling E. sakazakii will improve PIF food safety and reduce the risk of infection among vulnerable infants.
Niall Mullane1, Paul Whyte1, Patrick Wall2, Teresa Quinn1 and Séamus Fanning1
1Centres for Food Safety & Food-borne Zoonomics. UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre, School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. 2School of Public Health and Population Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Application of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to characterize and control the transmission of Enterobacter sakazakii in an infant formula processing facility
Enterobacter sakazakii (Cronobacter) has been associated with life-threatening infections in premature low birth weight infants. Since the first reported case of E. sakazakii neonatal meningitis published in 1961 several outbreaks of infection have been documented. Enterobacter sakazakii is an ubiquitous organism and although its exact mode of transmission has not been fully elucidated, powdered infant formula (PIF) has been epidemiologically implicated in several clinical cases. E. sakazakii contamination of PIF and its processing environment were evaluated during monitoring conducted between April 2005 and March 2006 in a PIF processing facility producing 17,000 tonnes of base powder and 22 million 900 g cans of PIF per year. All isolates were cultured on selective medium, biotyped and checked by ‘real-time’ PCR to confirm identification. PFGE macrorestriction profiles using XbaI were generated in each case. A dendrogram was produced using the BioNumerics software programme. All isolates cultured were confirmed by conventional and molecular methods as E. sakazakii. PFGE analysis revealed the existence of several clusters of indistinguishable DNA profiles within the PIF production facility. These isolates were mapped to specific problem areas. This information would aid the development of more powerful targeted intervention measures for its exclusion form the PIF processing chain. Since PIF is not a sterile product, and to reduce the risk of infection, microbiological control of E. sakazakii in the production environment is essential. This study identified of problem areas within the production environment that required careful intervention. In addition PFGE was applied to further characterise the strains recovered and to establish any potential dissemination routes. Controlling E. sakazakii will improve PIF food safety and reduce the risk of infection among vulnerable infants.
Niall Mullane1, Paul Whyte1, Patrick Wall2, Teresa Quinn1 and Séamus Fanning1
1Centres for Food Safety & Food-borne Zoonomics. UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre, School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. 2School of Public Health and Population Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.