Members of the genus Vibrio are common in aquatic environments. Among them are V. cholerae, V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus and V. mimicus. Several studies have shown that environmental factors, such as temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, are involved in their epidemiology. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to determine if there is a correlation between the presence/amount of V. cholerae, V, vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus and V. mimicus and the environmental conditions of the seawater off the coast of Guaymas, México. Quantification of all four pathogenic bacteria was performed using the most probable number method, and suspected colonies were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Correlations were found using principal component analysis. V. parahaemolyticus was the most abundant and widely distributed bacteria, followed by V. vulnificus, V. mimicus and V. cholerae. Positive correlations between V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus and V. mimicus with temperature, salinity, electric conductivity, and total dissolved solids were found. The abundance of V. cholerae was mainly affected by the sampling site and not by physicochemical parameters.
A total of 160 meat product samples were collected from commercial outlets in Mexico City to investigate the presence of different species of Yersinia by the 4 degrees C enrichment method after 1, 3, 5, and 7 days of incubation using alkaline treatment and isolating in cefsulodin-Irgasan-novobiocin and MacConkey agars with Tween 80. Overall, Yersinia spp. were isolated from 27% of the samples analyzed, whereas 40% of the raw and only 13% of the precooked samples were contaminated. Although 2,970 colonies showed Yersinia characteristics, only 706 (24%) actually corresponded to this genus: 49% were Yersinia enterocolitica, 25% Yersinia kristensenii, 15% Yersinia intermedia, 9% Yersinia frederiksenii, and 2% Yersinia aldovae; 10% corresponded to biotype 2, 2% to biotype 3, and 4% to biotype 4. The presence of Yersinia in raw and cooked meat products represents a health risk for consumers in Mexico, where further clinical studies are needed to assess the epidemiological importance of this pathogen.
This preliminary laboratory trial evaluated the potential of hot water shrinkage to reduce post‐lethal surface contamination by Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in a turkey‐based Virginia ham model. We inoculated triplicate of ham slices (10 cm2, 2‐cm thick) with 105 cfu/cm2 of Lm (ATCC 19114). Subsequently, they were vacuum‐packaged and placed in a thermostated water bath at 75, 80, 85 and 90C for 0, 20, 25 and 30 s. Treatment at 75–85C for up to 30 s did not affect Lm survival, while nearly 4‐log reduction was observed at 90C for 30 s. The strong correlation (r = 0.9685–0.9891) between results and estimated lethalities (from previous inactivation data) highlights the potential of the 90C/30 s regimen as an effective post‐lethal intervention. However, these results should be used with caution as they may vary under different industry conditions. Further research is needed to develop an appropriate pathogen reduction model for this process.
Practical Applications
Hot water shrinkage has a promising application in controlling post‐lethal surface contamination by Listeria monocytogenes in some deli meats. This intervention is likely to be cheaper than regular post‐package pasteurization. It is also feasible, from a productivity standpoint, in many medium‐sized companies. The latter may work only for products with a smooth surface and a composition similar to that of the turkey‐based Virginia ham tested in this study.
Índice de cuadrosCuadro 1. Diferenciación bioquímica de los tres biotipos de Vibrio vulnificus ..... Cuadro 2. Casos y muertes debidos a Vibrio vulnificus por consumo de productos de la pesca .
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.