Cronobacter Support
05-12-2009, 06:05 PM
1st International Conference on Cronobacter Poster Abstract 23
Examination of cattle faeces, dairy farm and food environs for the presence of Cronobacter (E. sakazakii)
Cronobacter (formally Enterobacter sakazakii) has been linked to illness in infants from contaminated powdered infant formula but there is limited information on the environmental sources and potential transmission routes of this pathogen. The aim of this study was to establish if food production animals (cattle, pigs), and the wider farm environment were playing a role in the transmission of Cronobacter and to assess the risk of cross contamination in the home where infant formula is prepared, from the presence of the pathogen on other foods and the general domestic environment. A wide range of samples (n=518) were collected at dairy farms, meat abattoirs, retail food stores and domestic environs and examined for the pathogen using an adapted ISO /DTS 22964 cultural protocol. Presumptive Cronobacter colonies were confirmed by Real Time PCR targeting the dnaG on the MMS operon. Cronobacter was not recovered from cattle faeces, farm soil or trough water but was recovered from a variety of other sample types including cattle feed (n = 10), pork and beef cuts (n = 4), beef burgers and beef mince (n = 4), green vegetables (n=2) as well as organic breakfast cereals (n = 9) and domestic vacuum cleaner dust (n = 1). This study indicates that Cronobacter is present in a range of sample types but has a particular association with dry environs.
Catherine Molloy1, Claire Cagney1, Stephen O’Brien2, Séamus Fanning2 and Geraldine Duffy1
1 Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre. Ashtown, Dublin 15, Ireland. 2Centre for Food Safety, School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland.
Examination of cattle faeces, dairy farm and food environs for the presence of Cronobacter (E. sakazakii)
Cronobacter (formally Enterobacter sakazakii) has been linked to illness in infants from contaminated powdered infant formula but there is limited information on the environmental sources and potential transmission routes of this pathogen. The aim of this study was to establish if food production animals (cattle, pigs), and the wider farm environment were playing a role in the transmission of Cronobacter and to assess the risk of cross contamination in the home where infant formula is prepared, from the presence of the pathogen on other foods and the general domestic environment. A wide range of samples (n=518) were collected at dairy farms, meat abattoirs, retail food stores and domestic environs and examined for the pathogen using an adapted ISO /DTS 22964 cultural protocol. Presumptive Cronobacter colonies were confirmed by Real Time PCR targeting the dnaG on the MMS operon. Cronobacter was not recovered from cattle faeces, farm soil or trough water but was recovered from a variety of other sample types including cattle feed (n = 10), pork and beef cuts (n = 4), beef burgers and beef mince (n = 4), green vegetables (n=2) as well as organic breakfast cereals (n = 9) and domestic vacuum cleaner dust (n = 1). This study indicates that Cronobacter is present in a range of sample types but has a particular association with dry environs.
Catherine Molloy1, Claire Cagney1, Stephen O’Brien2, Séamus Fanning2 and Geraldine Duffy1
1 Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre. Ashtown, Dublin 15, Ireland. 2Centre for Food Safety, School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland.