Occurrence of Pathogenic Microorganisms in Fish Sold in São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

This study investigated the presence of potentially human pathogenic strains of Vibrio spp., Aeromonas spp., Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus in fish commercialized in street markets of São Paulo city, Brazil. Twenty fish of different species were analyzed for foodborne pathogens using conventional methods. High levels of fecal contamination were detected in 25% of samples. S. aureus was isolated from 10% of samples. All were negative for Salmonella. Vibrio species, including Vibrio cholerae non‐O1/non‐O139, were observed in 85% of samples although Vibrio parahaemolyticus was not found in this study. Aeromonas spp., including A. hydrophila, was isolated from 50% of fish samples. The occurrence of these pathogens suggests that the fish commercialized in São Paulo may represent a health risk to the consumers. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Fish and fish products represent an important vehicle of gastrointestinal infection in the world. International trade in fish and its derivatives has grown substantially over the last decades and continue to expand; requiring rigorous sanitary control. The integration of world‐wide commerce, among other reasons, has led to increased fish consumption around world Moreover, healthier lifestyles and cultural globalization have popularized the consumption of raw fish dishes, which were historically restricted to oriental countries. This study suggests that fish can represent health risks.

Molecular characterization and detection of enterotoxins, methicillin resistance genes and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from fish and ground beef

“…In our study, the prevalence of S. aureus in all fish samples tested was 23.8% (19/80). The isolation rates of S. aureus were found to be 10% and 19.6% in fishes reported by Da Silva et al (2010) and Saito et al (2011), respectively. It is possible to say that the incidence rate of S. aureus in fish may be influenced by geographical location, the season, the method of harvest, post-harvest handling and storage (Ray 2004, Hammad et al 2012.…”

“…Therefore, S. aureus can be found commonly in various foods including meat (de Boer et al 2009, Jackson et al 2013) and fish (Da Silva et al 2010, Saito et al 2011. It is clear that contamination of food with this pathogen is often related to improper handling and storage conditions, as well as inadequate hygienic conditions and post-production microbial contamination (Ray 2004).…”

Characterization of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus isolated from oysters and mussels in São Paulo, Brazil

“…parahaemolyticus is an important foodborne pathogen, although in São Paulo outbreaks caused by V. parahaemolyticus have not been reported by the Center for Epidemiologic Surveillance (CVE). In addition, consumption of raw fish in Brazilian cities is popular 39 . Therefore, in this study, V. parahaemolyticus isolated from shellfish were characterized by PCR targeted to 16S rRNA and virulence genes, antibiotic resistance patterns and DNA profiles by PFGE.…”

ISOLATION OF Salmonella spp. AND OTHER MEMBERS OF Enterobacteriaceae FROM HORSE MACKEREL (Tra-churus trachurus), SOLD IN PUBLIC MARKETS OF ISTANBUL, TURKEY

“…They may play an important role in the fish spoilage and some bacterial species of this family are very pathogenic (Guiraud, 2003;Shabarinath et al, 2007;Lopez Da Silva et al, 2010). Pathogens such as Salmonella spp., Shigella spp.…”