Comparative study of different methods for detection and enumeration of Salmonella spp. in natural waters

Methodological differences between studies confound one-size-fits-all approaches to managing surface waterways for food and water safety

Even though differences in methodology (e.g., sample volume and detection method) have been shown to affect observed microbial water quality, multiple sampling and laboratory protocols continue to be used for water quality monitoring. Research is needed to determine how these differences impact the comparability of findings to generate best management practices and the ability to perform meta-analyses. This study addresses this knowledge gap by compiling and analyzing a data set representing 2,429,990 unique data points on at least one microbial water quality target (e.g., Salmonella presence and Escherichia coli concentration). Variance partitioning analysis was used to quantify the variance in likelihood of detecting each pathogenic target that was uniquely and jointly attributable to non-methodological versus methodological factors. The strength of the association between microbial water quality and select methodological and non-methodological factors was quantified using conditional forest and regression analysis. Fecal indicator bacteria concentrations were more strongly associated with non-methodological factors than methodological factors based on conditional forest analysis. Variance partitioning analysis could not disentangle non-methodological and methodological signals for pathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. This suggests our current perceptions of foodborne pathogen ecology in water systems are confounded by methodological differences between studies. For example, 31% of total variance in likelihood of Salmonella detection was explained by methodological and/or non-methodological factors, 18% was jointly attributable to both methodological and non-methodological factors. Only 13% of total variance was uniquely attributable to non-methodological factors for Salmonella, highlighting the need for standardization of methods for microbiological water quality testing for comparison across studies.IMPORTANCEThe microbial ecology of water is already complex, without the added complications of methodological differences between studies. This study highlights the difficulty in comparing water quality data from projects that used different sampling or laboratory methods. These findings have direct implications for end users as there is no clear way to generalize findings in order to characterize broad-scale ecological phenomenon and develop science-based guidance. To best support development of risk assessments and guidance for monitoring and managing waters, data collection and methods need to be standardized across studies. A minimum set of data attributes that all studies should collect and report in a standardized way is needed. Given the diversity of methods used within applied and environmental microbiology, similar studies are needed for other microbiology subfields to ensure that guidance and policy are based on a robust interpretation of the literature.

Scale and detection method impacted Salmonella prevalence and diversity in ponds

Site-specific approaches for managing food safety hazards in agricultural water require an understanding of foodborne pathogen ecology. This study identified factors associated with Salmonella contamination in Virginia ponds. Grab samples (250 mL, N = 600) were collected from 30 sites across nine ponds. Culture- and culture-independent (CIDT)-based methods were used to detect Salmonella in each sample. Salmonella isolated by culture-based methods were serotyped by Kauffman-White classification. Environmental data were collected for each sample. McNemar's χ2 was used to determine if Salmonella detection differed by testing method. Separate mixed effect models were used to identify environmental factors associated with culture and CIDT-based Salmonella detection. Separate models were built for each pond, and for all ponds combined. Salmonella detection differed significantly (p < 0.001) between CIDT (31 %; 183/600)- and culture (13 %; 77/600)-based methods. Culture-based methods yielded 11 different serovars. All cultured Salmonella samples were confirmed by CIDT; 42.1 % of CIDT Salmonella-positive samples could be cultured. Associations between environmental factors and Salmonella detection also varied substantially by pond and detection method. In the all-pond model, associations were observed for five factors (total coliforms, Escherichia coli, air temperature, UV, rain) for both culture- and CIDT-based Salmonella detection. Rain prior to sampling (24 h) increased odds of Salmonella detection for culture (OR = 5.09) and CIDT (OR = 3.62) in the all-pond model. When all the pond data were used, models masked associations at the individual pond level, as there were noticeable differences between ponds and the odds of isolating Salmonella by environmental factors. Ponds were within a 187-ha area in this study, emphasizing water management needs to be individualized (i.e., assess hazards/risks by pond). Results also highlight detection methods and scale strongly affect observed water quality and should be considered when developing monitoring programs to develop guidance for growers.

Presence and Persistence of Salmonella in Water: The Impact on Microbial Quality of Water and Food Safety

Salmonella ranks high among the pathogens causing foodborne disease outbreaks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Salmonella contributed to about 53.4% of all foodborne disease outbreaks from 2006 to 2017, and approximately 32.7% of these foodborne Salmonella outbreaks were associated with consumption of produce. Trace-back investigations have suggested that irrigation water may be a source of Salmonella contamination of produce and a vehicle for transmission. Presence and persistence of Salmonella have been reported in surface waters such as rivers, lakes, and ponds, while ground water in general offers better microbial quality for irrigation. To date, culture methods are still the gold standard for detection, isolation and identification of Salmonella in foods and water. In addition to culture, other methods for the detection of Salmonella in water include most probable number, immunoassay, and PCR. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) in January 2013 based on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which calls for more efforts toward enhancing and improving approaches for the prevention of foodborne outbreaks. In the PSR, agricultural water is defined as water used for in a way that is intended to, or likely to, contact covered produce, such as spray, wash, or irrigation. In summary, Salmonella is frequently present in surface water, an important source of water for irrigation. An increasing evidence indicates irrigation water as a source (or a vehicle) for transmission of Salmonella. This pathogen can survive in aquatic environments by a number of mechanisms, including entry into the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state and/or residing within free-living protozoa. As such, assurance of microbial quality of irrigation water is critical to curtail the produce-related foodborne outbreaks and thus enhance the food safety. In this review, we will discuss the presence and persistence of Salmonella in water and the mechanisms Salmonella uses to persist in the aquatic environment, particularly irrigation water, to better understand the impact on the microbial quality of water and food safety due to the presence of Salmonella in the water environment.

Bacterial fauna associating with chironomid larvae from lakes of Bengaluru city, India - A 16s rRNA gene based identification

Chironomid larvae that inhabit in aquatic sediments play an important role as vector for bacterial pathogens. Its life cycle consists of four stages i.e. eggs, larvae, pupae and adult. In the present study we identified bacterial species associated with whole larvae of chironomids from 11 lake sediments of Bangalore region using 16s rRNA gene Sanger sequencing. We found that larvae from all lake sediments associated with bacterial species which include key pathogens. Totally we identified 65 bacterial isolates and obtained GenBank accession numbers (KX980423 - KX980487). Phylogenetic tree constructed using MEGA 7 software and tree analysis highlight the predominant bacterial community associated with larvae which include Enterobacteriaceae (43.08%; 28 isolates) and Aeromonas (24.62%; 16 isolates), Shewanella, Delftia, Bacillus (6.15%; 4 isolates each), Pseudomonas (4.62%; 3 isolates) and Exiguobacterium (3.08%; 2 isolates). Current findings state that among bacterial population Aeromonas, Enterobacter and Escherichia with serotypes are commonly associated with larvae in maximum lake points. In other hand Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Shigella, Bacillus, and other bacterial species were identified moderately in all lakes. Interestingly, we identified first time Shigella Gram negative, rod shaped pathogenic organism of Enterobacteriaceae and Rheinheimera Gram negative, rod shaped organism associating chironomid larvae.

Salmonella enterica diversity in central Californian coastal waterways

Salmonella enterica is one of the most important bacterial enteric pathogens worldwide. However, little is known about its distribution and diversity in the environment. The present study explored the diversity of 104 strains of Salmonella enterica isolated over 2 years from 12 coastal waterways in central California. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing were used to probe species diversity. Seventy-four PFGE patterns and 38 sequence types (STs) were found, including 18 newly described STs. Nineteen of 25 PFGE patterns were indistinguishable from those of clinical isolates in PulseNet. The most common ST was consistent with S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, and other frequently detected STs were associated with the serovars Heidelberg and Enteritidis; all of these serovars are important etiologies of salmonellosis. An investigation into S. enterica biogeography was conducted at the level of ST and subspecies. At the ST and subspecies level, we found a taxon-time relationship but no taxon-area or taxon-environmental distance relationships. STs collected during wet versus dry conditions tended to be more similar; however, STs collected from waterways adjacent to watersheds with similar land covers did not tend to be similar. The results suggest that the lack of dispersal limitation may be an important factor affecting the diversity of S. enterica in the region.

Effects of a direct-fed microbial (primalac) on turkey poult performance and susceptibility to oral Salmonella challenge

A study was conducted to determine 1) the effect of a dietary direct-fed microbial (DFM) on turkey poult performance, 2) the effect of a DFM on a Salmonella challenge, and 3) the effect of feed processing on the efficacy of the dietary DFM. Day-of-hatch Large White female poults were placed in 2 rooms in 2 Petersime batteries per room. Twelve pens of 7 birds each were used in each battery (24 pens per room, 336 birds total). One of 4 dietary feed treatments was assigned to each pen (6 pens per room for each diet). One room housed non-Salmonella-challenged poults, and the other room housed poults challenged with a 1-mL oral gavage of Salmonella (10(10) cfu/mL). A single batch of starter ration was split into 4 parts and used to provide 4 dietary treatments: 1) mash feed with no DFM (M), 2) mash feed with DFM (Primalac; 0.9 kg/tonne of feed, MD), 3) pelleted (20-s steam conditioning at 80 degrees C) and crumbled feed with no DFM (C), and 4) pelleted and crumbled feed with DFM (CD). Feed and deionized, distilled water were provided ad libitum. Data were collected and analyzed separately for each room. Mortality was recorded for each pen on a daily basis and totaled by week and for the 3-wk period. Individual BW and feed consumption, by pen, were measured weekly. Weekly and cumulative BW gains and feed to gain ratios (F:G) were calculated. Liver, spleen, total and lower intestinal tract weights, intestinal length, and most-probable-number Salmonella populations were determined for one randomly selected bird per pen. Feeding processed feed resulted in improved BW and F:G. Feeding the DFM improved 3-wk cumulative F:G in birds not gavaged and reduced relative intestinal weight in birds gavaged. Salmonella populations were reduced 1 log by feeding DFM. Dietary DFM improved bird performance, reduced Salmonella populations, and was not affected by feed processing.

Salmonella populations and prevalence in layer feces from commercial high-rise houses and characterization of the Salmonella isolates by serotyping, antibiotic resistance analysis, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis

Salmonella species are recognized as a major cause of foodborne illnesses that are closely associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry and egg products. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the Salmonella populations and prevalence in layer feces during the laying cycle and molting of the hen and to characterize the layer fecal Salmonella isolates by serotyping, antibiotic resistance analysis, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Fecal samples were collected from a commercial layer complex consisting of 12 houses. Composite fecal samples across each row were collected as a function of bird age [18 wk (at placement), 25 to 28 wk (first peak of production cycle), 66 to 74 wk (molting), and 75 to 78 wk (second peak of production cycle)]. Bird ages and molting practice did not significantly affect (P > 0.05) Salmonella populations with an average of 1.25, 1.27, 1.20, and 1.14 log most probable number/g for the 18-, 25- to 28-, 66- to 74-, and 75- to 7-wk birds, respectively. However, the 18-wk birds had the highest prevalence of Salmonella (55.6%), followed by the 25- to 28-wk birds (41.7%), 75- to 78-wk birds (16.7%), and 66- to 74-wk birds (5.5%). Of the 45 Salmonella isolates characterized, the most predominant serovar was Salmonella Kentucky (62%). Thirty-five percent of the Salmonella isolates were resistant to at least 1 antibiotic. As expected, considerable genetic diversity was observed within and across the different serovars.

Isolation of Salmonella from poultry droppings and other environmental sources in Awka, Nigeria

OBJECTIVE

A survey of Salmonella contamination of poultry droppings used as manure, retail fresh beef, fresh beef retailers' aprons and fresh beef retail tables, was carried out.

DESIGN

A total of 120 samples of poultry droppings collected from five poultry farms, 96 fresh beef samples, 96 beef retailers' aprons and 96 fresh beef retail tables were examined for the presence of Salmonella species.

RESULTS

Different Salmonella serotypes were isolated from all the sources. Salmonella paratypi A had an isolation rate of 12.5% from poultry droppings, 4.2% from fresh beef, and 2.1% and 4.2% from meat retailers' aprons and tables respectively. Other serotypes isolated from the sources included S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis, S. gallinarum, S. pullorum, S. typhi and S. agama. Salmonella typhi was not isolated from poultry droppings throughout the survey.

CONCLUSION

There is a need to create more environmental and personal hygiene awareness among the Nigerian populace, especially among food vendors.

Suitability of the traditional microbial indicators and their enumerating methods in the assessment of fecal pollution of subtropical freshwater environments

Twenty-four freshwater sampling sites (11 river water, 6 spring water, and 7 groundwater) were selected from 4 sampling areas located in the northern and central parts of Taiwan. A total of 125 water samples were collected during a 5-month sampling period, and the numbers of total heterotrophic bacteria, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, enterococci, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Salmonella spp. were enumerated. Besides the traditional membrane filtration method, total coliforms and Escherichia coli were also simultaneously enumerated using the Colilert (Quanti-Tray/2000) method. On average, 94% and 80% of the water samples assessed with the Colilert method had equal or higher total coliform and E. coli counts, respectively, as compared with the membrane filtration method. Furthermore, when m-FC agar was used to enumerate fecal coliforms, 18% of the samples failed to yield the typical bluish colonies, while E. coli were counted in the same samples using the Colilert method. The data indicate that the m-FC agar culture method is inadequate for the enumeration of fecal coliforms in subtropical water samples. Significant correlations were observed between the total number of bacteria and various indicator bacteria in river water samples, but no such correlations were found for groundwater and spring water. This finding suggested that the river water was polluted by anthropogenic sources. The counts of total coliforms, E. coli, and other indicator bacteria were significantly correlated in all river water samples, while in groundwater and spring water, significant (p<0.01) correlation was only observed with enterococcal counts. The presence of total coliforms/E. coli generally implies the presence of fecal pollution possibly including pathogenic enteric bacteria. However, no Salmonella spp. were detected in any of the 107 water samples analyzed. The results of this study suggest that the use of these commonly employed microbial indicators for assessing subtropical water quality, especially in a pristine body of water (ie, mountain spring and groundwater), is highly questionable.

Detection of Salmonella spp. in tropical seafood by polymerase chain reaction

The incidence of Salmonella spp. in tropical seafood was studied using standard microbiological techniques and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Six of 20 finfish (30%), 4 of 20 clams (20%) and 1 of 20 shrimp (5%) were positive by culture techniques and by PCR. In a comparative study of different selective enrichment broths and selective plating media, more than one enrichment broth and selective agar were found to be necessary for efficient detection of Salmonella from seafood. Selenite cystine broth (SCB) was found to be more efficient compared to tetrathionate broth (TTB) while both bismuth sulfite agar (BSA) and hektoen enteric agar (HEA) were equally effective as selective plating media for fish. In the case of clams, HEA was found to be more effective. The presence of Salmonella spp. could be detected by PCR amplification of DNA extracted directly from the enrichment broths. In two cases, enrichment broths that were positive by PCR did not yield Salmonella by conventional methods.

Survival of Salmonella enterica in freshwater and sediments and transmission by the aquatic midge Chironomus tentans (Chironomidae: Diptera)

Survival of a nalidixic acid-resistant strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium mr-DT-104 in water and sediments was tested using artificially contaminated aquaria. Water samples remained culture positive for salmonella for up to 54 days. Sediment samples were culture positive up to 119 days. In addition, potential mechanisms for spreading salmonella in the environments by chironomid larvae and adults were tested. We evaluated the acquisition of mr-DT-104 by chironomids from contaminated aquatic sediments and subsequent spread to uncontaminated sediments. Larval chironomids raised in contaminated sediments became culture positive, and the bacteria were carried over to adults after emergence. Contamination of clean sediments by chironomid larvae was not demonstrated. These findings clearly suggest that mr-DT-104 serovar organisms can survive in aquatic sediments for at least several months. Uptake of salmonellae by chironomid larvae and adults suggests that they are possible vectors of mr-DT-104 in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, although the role of larval defecation in movement of bacteria to new sediments was not demonstrated.

Health effect of human wastes use in agriculture in El Azzouzia (the wastewater spreading area of Marrakesh city, Morocco)

The use of wastewater and excreta in agriculture constitutes an important source of spread Salmonella strains and protozoan infections into the environment. This practice has been used in El Azzouzia (the wastewater-spreading area of Marrakesh city, Morocco) for several years. The available circumstantial evidence gained from epidemiological and microbiological investigations suggests that the use of untreated wastewater causes an excess of protozoan infections among children living in El Azzouzia (72%) compared with those from a control area (45%). The pathogenic protozoan infections observed were giardiasis (39%) and amoebiasis (28%). For Salmonella infection, 21.34% of the exposed children were infected, while this rate did not exceed 1.14% in the control group. The serogroups B and C were the most commonly isolated. The sewage farming children are therefore more exposed to detectable risk from pathogenic micro-organisms than the control children.

Diversity of Salmonella strains isolated from the aquatic environment as determined by serotyping and amplification of the ribosomal DNA spacer regions

Salmonella species are pathogenic bacteria often detected in sewage, freshwater, marine coastal water, and groundwater. Salmonella spp. can survive for long periods in natural waters, and the persistence of specific and epidemic strains is of great concern in public health. However, the diversity of species found in the natural environment remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of Salmonella strains isolated from different natural aquatic systems within a Mediterranean coastal watershed (river, wastewater, and marine coastal areas). A total of 574 strains isolated from these natural environments were identified by both conventional serotyping and the ribosomal spacer-heteroduplex polymorphism (RS-HP) method (M. A. Jensen and N. Straus, PCR Methods Appl. 3:186-194, 1993). More than 40 different serotypes were found, and some serotypes probably mobilized from widespread animal-rearing activities were detected only during storm events. These serotypes may be good indicators of specific contamination sources. Furthermore, the RS-HP method based on the PCR amplification of the intergenic spacer region between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes can produce amplicon profiles allowing the discrimination of species at both serotype and intraserotype levels. This method represents a powerful tool that could be used for rapid typing of Salmonella isolates.

Salmonella infection in children from the wastewater-spreading zone of Marrakesh city (Morocco)

The available circumstantial evidence gained from epidemiological and microbiological investigations suggests that the use of untreated wastewater causes an excess of Salmonella infection among children living in El Azzouzia (the wastewater-spreading area of Marrakesh city, Morocco) compared with those from a control area that does not practice sewage irrigation (Sidi Moussa). The prevalence in the exposed group (32.56%) was significantly (P < 0. 001) higher than for the control group (1.14%). Serogroups B and C were the most commonly isolated. Boys were at greater risk (37.61%) of contracting Salmonella infection than girls (26.66%). Age-specified rates showed that children of less than 10 years old were infected at a higher rate than older children in the area (exposed group), with 40.32% and 19.72% rates of infection, respectively. Crop irrigation with untreated wastewater caused a significantly higher rate of infection with Salmonella in the children of agricultural workers (39.33%) than in the children of non-agriculturists (24.58%).

Use of polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme analysis to directly detect and identify Salmonella typhimurium in food

A primer set of oligonucleotides (Salm 3 and Salm 4) from the invA gene of Salmonellae has been evaluated for the specific detection of Salmonella spp. by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This primer set amplified 33 Salmonella serovars but did not amplify 16 non-Salmonella bacteria. Moreover, after PCR amplification, it was possible to identify Salm. typhimurium by restriction enzyme analysis. The PCR-RE method developed could represent a helpful tool for detecting Salmonella spp., and for directly and rapidly identifying Salm. typhimurium in food.

Evaluation of a new enrichment broth for the isolation of Salmonella spp. from poultry products

Four selective enrichment broths were compared for the detection of Salmonella spp. in naturally contaminated poultry products and the recovery of atypical Salmonella strains in suspensions of pure cultures. In analysis of 100 poultry samples, the sensitivities observed were 94.0% for Müller-Kauffmann Tetrathionate-Brilliant Green (MKTBG), 97.6% for Rappaport Vassiliadis (RV), 42.2% for Selenite Cystine (SC) and 97.6% for the new broth KIMAN (Whitley Impedance Broth supplemented with 20 mg/l of novobiocin sodium salt, 10 mg/l of malachite green oxalate and 40 g/l of potassium iodide). The two most efficient broths--RV and KIMAN for recovery of atypical Salmonella strains (gallinarum biotypes gallinarum and pullorum, typhi, paratyphi A) were less toxic than MKTBG but more toxic than s.c. broth. According to these results, the use of RV and KIMAN could be a good combination to assure maximal recovery of Salmonella strains.

Salmonella as an index of pollution of fresh-water environments

An environmental study was done to examine the prevalence of Salmonella in some aquatic environments of Jabalpur. Environmental factors in the fresh-water environment exert an influence on the distribution and behaviour of pathogenic bacteria. During the period from January 1991 to December 1992, a total number of 103 isolates of Salmonella were tested for their resistance against antibiotics. Among different isolates, Salmonella paratyphii showed 100% multiple resistance against antibiotics, i.e. Ampicillin, Carbenicillin, Cephalexin, Chloramphenicol, Gentamicin, Penicillin, Streptomycin, Tetracycline, Norfloxacine and Cloxacine. The density of Salmonella correlated with the densities of total coliforms, faecal coliforms and faecal streptococci. The increased survival, possible indigenous nature and behaviour of Salmonella further emphasize the need for direct enumeration, reformation of standards and health risk assessments for underdeveloped countries, where waterborne disease exert a horrible toll.

Specific detection of Salmonella spp. by multiplex polymerase chain reaction

Three sets of oligonucleotide primers were used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to detect Salmonella species. phoP primers specific to the phoP/phoQ loci of coliform pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, and Citrobacter species served as presumptive indicators of enteric bacteria. In addition to the phoP primers, the Hin and the H-1i primers, which targeted a 236-bp region of hin/H2 and a 173-bp region of the H-1i flagellin gene, respectively, were used. Both Hin and H-1i primers are specific to motile Salmonella species and are not present in Shigella, E. coli, or Citrobacter species. Thus, by multiplex PCR amplification, Salmonella species including Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella paratyphi A, and Salmonella enteritidis can be specifically detected. Optimal reaction conditions have been described to demonstrate this specific, sensitive detection of Salmonella species. By using agarose gel electrophoresis for detection of the PCR-amplified products, the sensitivity of detection was 10(2) CFU after 25 cycles of PCR and 1 (10(0)) CFU after a 50-cycle double PCR. The efficacy of these primers was demonstrated on environmental isolates which had previously been confirmed as Salmonella species by the use of conventional cultural techniques. In addition, positive amplifications resulted from Salmonella species in environmental samples including soil and water.

Laboratory study of several enrichment broths for the detection of Salmonella spp. particularly in relation to water samples

The selectivity and efficiency of several enrichment broths used for the the detection of salmonellas were comparatively evaluated under laboratory and environmental conditions. Media with selenite were less efficient in their inhibition of the growth of Gram-positive micro-organisms. Salmonellas grew slowly in tetrathionate broth and in media containing brilliant green. These media inhibited the growth of Salmonella typhi, which grew only in media containing selenite. The results obtained in the experiments with stressed salmonellas indicate that the media selenite F, selenite F with novobiocin, selenite cystine and Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV/43), in conjunction with the double agar layer technique, showed an optimal efficiency for the detection of stressed salmonellas. When natural samples (freshwater and seawater) were used to evaluate the media, however, those containing malachite green, whether or not supplemented with sodium novobiocin, enhanced the recovery of salmonellas.

Growth of Salmonella and competing flora in five commercial Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV)-media

Growth of 18 Salmonella strains belonging to 11 serotypes and the bacterial flora of deep-frozen broiler carcasses was examined in five commercial Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) media. Growth was measured by an automated turbidometer (Bioscreen). Significant differences in performance between the media investigated were observed. The unequal performances were ascribed to differences in the concentration of magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and the type of peptone used.

A comparison of standard cultural methods for the detection of foodborne Salmonella

The sensitivity of the standard cultural method of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 6579 and ISO 3565 combined) was compared to that of the Health Protection Branch (HPB) procedure for the detection of foodborne Salmonella. Of 195 foods tested, 84 (43.1%) were found to contain salmonellae by one or more cultural conditions. Of these, 75 (89.3%) and 68 (81.0%) were identified by the ISO and HPB methods, respectively. The apparent lack of agreement between both methods likely stemmed from the low indigenous numbers of salmonellae in several food homogenates, and unequal transfer of the target microorganism into homologous ISO and HPB pre-enrichment broths. The sensitivities of the commercially available Muller-Kauffmann tetrathionate broth (MKTBG43, Oxoid CM343), and a closely-related medium prepared with Oxoid CM29 tetrathionate base varied from 86.9 to 89.3%, and were deemed equivalent to that obtained with the ISO formulation of MKTBG43 (89.3%). Comparatively fewer contaminated samples were identified from selenite cystine (SC35) and selenite brilliant green (SBG35) enrichment cultures (82.1-83.3%). The high selectivity and saccharide-independent response of the bismuth sulfite agar medium warrants its consideration as a mandatory plating medium in ISO methodologies for the effective detection of typical and atypical biotypes of foodborne Salmonella spp.

Direct detection of Salmonella spp. in estuaries by using a DNA probe

A method for direct detection of Salmonella spp. in water was developed by using a commercially available DNA probe. Particulate DNA was extracted from 500- to 1,500-ml water samples collected from New York Harbor and Chesapeake Bay and used as a substrate for a salmonella-specific DNA probe in dot blot assays. The method detected salmonellae in water samples from 12 of 16 sites, including 6 sites where salmonellae could not be cultured. The specificity of the probe was evaluated, and cross-hybridization, although negligible, was used to set detection limits for the assay. Salmonella DNA bound the probe quantitatively, and from these results Salmonella DNA in the total particulate DNA in environmental samples could be estimated. The data obtained in this study indicate that Salmonella spp. often are not detected in water samples by culture methods, even when they are present in significant numbers.

Antibiotic resistance of Salmonella strains isolated from natural polluted waters

Resistance to 14 antibiotics was tested in 270 Salmonella strains isolated from different aquatic environments. All the strains were sensitive to nalidixic acid (30 micrograms) and cephalothin (30 micrograms) but more than 90% were resistant to tetracycline (30 micrograms). The percentage of strains resistant to other antimicrobial substances depended on the antibiotic and on the isolation source. Twenty-four resistance patterns were recorded in strains isolated from three environmental sources. The only multi-resistance detected in the three ecosystems was that of sulphadiazine and tetracycline (about 20%). The serotypes most frequently detected with multi-resistance to different antibiotics were Salmonella typhimurium and Salm. blockley.

Effect of heat and ultrasonic waves on the survival of two strains of Bacillus subtilis

The combined effect of ultrasonic (20 KHz, 150 W) and heat treatment on the survival of two strains of Bacillus subtilis in three suspending media (distilled water, glycerol and milk) has been studied. When spores suspended in water or milk were subjected to ultrasonic waves before heat treatments a little or no decrease of the heat resistance was observed. However, both sporicidal agents applied simultaneously (thermo-ultrasonication) decreased by 63% (B. subtilis, var. niger-40) and 74% (B. subtilis ATCC 6051) the decimal reduction times for the heat treatment when the spores were suspended in glycerol and by 79% and 40%, respectively when suspended in milk. The thermo-ultrasonication of spores in water markedly reduced the heat resistance of them (between 99.9% and 70%) in the range 70-95 degrees C but the effect of the thermo-ultrasonication significantly diminished as the temperature of the treatment was approached to the boiling point of the water.

Semisolid media for isolation of Salmonella spp. from coastal waters

The use of two semisolid media (semisolid Rappaport and semisolid Rappaport-Vassiliadis) for the isolation of Salmonella spp. from coastal waters was compared with the use of conventional media. Two hundred and fifty six samples were studied; Salmonella spp. were detected in 83. The semisolid media were the most sensitive, detecting 73 samples instead of the 53 detected by the conventional media (P less than 0.001). The rate of isolation of Salmonella spp. showed an increase of 56.6% when the semisolid media were added to the conventional media, it being possible to detect 54.2% of the total organisms 1 day earlier.

The effect of incubation temperature and magnesium chloride concentration on growth of salmonella in home-made and in commercially available dehydrated Rappaport-Vassiliadis broths

Growth rate of salmonellas in Rappaport-Vassiliadis broth (RV) decreased with higher temperature when incubated at 40, 42 and 43 degrees C. Home-made RV and RV-Merck were less inhibitory than RV-Oxoid and RV-lab m. At 43 degrees C growth of all strains of Salmonella dublin were almost completely inhibited in all types of RV. In home-made RV and RV-Merck incubated at 42 degrees C, Salm. dublin was not inhibited any more than other serotypes tested. Variations in growth rate between different types of RV could be explained by differences in concentration of MgCl2. RV with higher MgCl2-concentration were most inhibitory. It is proposed that RV should be incubated at 41.5 +/- 0.5 degrees C (42.0 +/- 0.1 degrees C in a waterbath) and that the amount of MgCl2.6H2O should be approximately 28.6 g/l of the ready-to-use medium, which corresponds to the formula in the original description.

Detecting aberrant strains in bacterial groups as an aid to constructing databases for computer identification

Computer assisted identification systems require that databases on the test results of the species are of high quality. One reason for poor quality is the inadvertent inclusion of strains that do not belong to a taxon; this can readily occur in groups where ancillary criteria (e.g. serology) are not available. A possible strategy is to exclude strains that are very atypical in their properties, i.e. that are very outlying, provided an objective criterion can be used. A computer program, OUTLIER, for the detection of outlying strains in bacterial clusters was evaluated. A brief description of the theory and operation of the program is given. The program uses as an objective criterion the degree to which the strain data fits a chi-square. This allows easy identification of aberrant strains that should be excluded in constructing a database. The program utilizes 1.0 data and calculations are based upon a choice of one of four identification coefficients. The relative merits of these four coefficients were examined for eight sets of bacterial data. Two of the coefficients, -log10 Willcox likelihood and Taxonomic distance squared appear to show little significant differences and we recommend these for routine work, with the first being the more useful. The Pattern distance squared was useful in indicating where atypical strains may be metabolically less active or slow-growing members of a cluster rather than true outliers. The Variance-weighted Taxonomic distance squared behaved anomalously and we do not recommend it.

Evaluation of different plating media used in the isolation of salmonellas from environmental samples

Different serotypes of salmonellas were compared for selectivity and efficiency of recovery using 11 plating media. No optimal growth was obtained after 24 h incubation in any of the media, but after 48 h, brilliant green, brilliant green-phenol red-lactose-sucrose, bismuth sulphite, xylose-lysine-deoxycholate and Hektoen enteric agars showed optimal recovery of all the salmonella serotypes. Xylose-lysine-deoxycholate and brilliant green-phenol red-lactose-sucrose agars were the most selective media for all salmonella serotypes. Addition of 10 micrograms/ml of sodium novobiocin to the tryptic soy-xylose-lysine and tryptic soy-brilliant green agars significantly improved their selectivity but reduced or inhibited the growth of some salmonella serotypes, including Salmonella typhi. Xylose-lysine-deoxycholate agar gave the highest recovery percentage of stressed salmonellas with a double-agar layer technique. Good recovery was also obtained on brilliant green-phenol red-lactose-sucrose, tryptic soy-brilliant green, tryptic soy-brilliant green-novobiocin, tryptic, soy-xylose-lysine and tryptic soy-xylose-lysine-novobiocin agars. Salmonella-shigella agar was the least efficient medium for the recovery of salmonellas under stress-induced or non-stressed conditions.