• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.232-237
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• 2006

Bacillus cereus group comprising B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, and B. mycoides was differentiated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and colony morphology. Prevalence of B. cereus group in rice and distribution of enterotoxin genes were determined as possible food poisoning agents. PCR using primers targeted for gyrB and cry genes could distinguish B. thuringiensis from B. cereus, and B. mycoides was differentiated by rhizoid morphological characteristics on nutrient agar. Among 136 rice and their processed products, prevalence of B. cereus group was 40%. B. cereus group consisted of 54 B. cereus, 11 B. thuringiensis, and 1 B. mycoides. Major isolates were B. cereus, with B. thuringiensis detected up to 10% among edible rice tested. Five enterotoxin genes, hbl, nhe, bceT, entFM, and cytK, were broadly distributed among B. cereus group, especially in B. cereus and B. thuringiensis. Prevalence of B. cereus group in rice and enterotoxin distribution suggest B. thuringiensis and B. cereus are toxigenic strain that should be controlled in rice and its products.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 1983

Enterotoxigenic E. coli is one of causative agents of the infantile diarrhea and traveler's diarrhea. A modified infant mouse assay(IMA) was developed for the detection of heat stable enterotoxin (ST) of E. coli isolated from diarrheal and control infants and assay system was established with using enterotoxin producing reference strains. The supernatant of the 24 hour-shaking culture of E. coli in Casamino Acid Yeast Extract Salt Broth(CYES-2) was ingested orally into the 2-4 day old ICR mice. After the mice were kept at $25^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours, they were sacrificed and the gut weight body weight ratio(GW/BW) was taken as the index of fluid accumulation induced by heat stable enterotoxin of E. coli. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The GW/BW responses of IMA tested with enterotoxin reference strains of E. coli(E. coli O148H28:$ST^+LT^+$, E. coli $O78H^-:ST^+LT^+$, E. coli O15H11:$ST^-LT^+$, E. coli O1H7:$ST^-LT^-$) appeared ta be ST dose-dependent, and not LT-dependent. From the dose-response curve, $25{\mu}l$ of culture supernatant was determined as test amount of the IMA. 2. Frequency distribution of IMA result from 643 strain of E. coli showed normal distribution at low GW/BW ratio and dispersed pattern at high GW/BW ratio. The GW/BW ratios of $0.056{\pm}0.004(mean{\pm}SD)$ of normal distribution which distributed from 0.044 to 0.068(P<0.01) was considered as ST negative. Thus the GW/BW ratio above 0.069 could be regarded as ST positive.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.502-506
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profiles of and the enterotoxin gene distribution in 4 strains of Staphylococcus aureus (S10-2, S10-3, S12-2, and S13-2) isolated from 90 bulgogi samples. The S. aureus enterotoxin H gene (seh) was found in all the strains, while the S. aureus enterotoxin A gene (sea) was found only in 3 of the 4 strains. The S10-2 strain expressed a combination of enterotoxin genes - seg, seh, sei, sej, selm, and seln. The strains S10-2 and S13-2 were resistant to ampicillin and penicillin G, and all the isolated strains were resistant to tetracycline. The S10-2 strain was the only mecA-positive strain; it was also resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. Thus, genes encoding enterotoxin as well as those conferring antibiotic resistance were identified in the S. aureus strains isolated from pork bulgogi. These results represents the potential occurrence of MRSA in pork bulgogi, and the need for a monitoring system for pork bulgogi in order to prevent an outbreak of staphylococcal food poisoning.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.2043-2048
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• 2015

Bacillus thuringiensis microbial insecticide products have been applied worldwide. Although a few cases of B. thuringiensis foodborne illness have been reported, little is known about the toxigenic properties of B. thuringiensis isolates. The aims of this study were to estimate the pathogenic potential of B. thuringiensis selected from microbial insecticide products, based on its possession of toxin genes and production of enterotoxins. Fifty-two B. thuringiensis strains selected from four kinds of microbial insecticide products were analyzed. PCR assay for detection of toxin genes and immunoassay for detection of enterotoxins were performed. The hemolysin BL complex as a major enterotoxin was produced by 17 (32.7%), whereas the non-hemolytic enterotoxin complex was detected in 1 (1.9%) of 52 B. thuringiensis strains. However, cytK, entFM, and ces genes were not detected in any of the tested B. thuringiensis strains. The potential risk of food poisoning by B. thuringiensis along with concerns over B. thuringiensis microbial insecticide products has gained attention recently. Thus, microbial insecticide products based on B. thuringiensis should be carefully controlled.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.139-153
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• 1996

Porcine E coli infection is a disease caused by Enterotoxin produced by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC). Enteric colibacillosis has become an economically important disease in pigs as a result of increasing intensification of farrowing management. The present study undertaken to obtain the antibiotic sensitivity and distribution of serogroups and pili producibility test of ETEC from E. coli isolates in Chonnam. The results obtained were as follows. 1. A total of 71 isolates identified as E, coli employing IMViC system from rectal specimens of 54 piglets with diarrhea. 2. In antibiotic sensitivity test, isolates showed high sensitivity to AN, CM, Fox, GM, but resistance to EM, NA TC. 3. The distribution of 25 Isolates of serogroups were 0141:K85(11.3%), 08:K87(8.5%), 064:K (5.6%), 0138:K8l (4.2%), 0139 :K82(2.8%), 0157:K88ac(1.4%) and 0149:K9l (1.4%). 4. MRHA of guinea pig erythrocytes was detected in 8 out of 25OK serotypes and 9 out of 46 unidentified serotypes. MRHA titers of serotypes showed from 64 to 128 in 0141: K85, 2 in 0138:K8l and no titers in 0139:K82. 5. The production of heat labile enterotoxin of ETEC was detect 39 out of 52 isolates showed $\beta$-hemolysin, 7 out of 52 isolates showed ${\gamma}$-hemolysin and 6 out of 52 isolates showed ${\gamma}$-hemolysin by $GM_1$ganglioside ELISA. The distribution of LT toxin were in 12 isolate showed $\beta$-hemolysin, 2 isolates showed ${\alpha}$-hemolysin and 3 isolates showed ${\gamma}$-hemolysin in 25 OK serotypes.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.199-205
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• 2013

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a causative agent for a number of extra intestinal diseases and account for significant losses to the poultry industry. Since protective immunity against APEC is largely directed to virulence antigens, we have individually expressed four different viulence antigens, papA, papG, IutA, and CS31A, using an attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium and a plasmid pBB244. Following oral immunization of mice with combination of two or four of these strains, serum IgG and mucosal IgA responses were elicited against each antigen represented in the mixture. The antigen-specific mucosal IgA responses were significantly higher in the group of mice immunized with the heat-labile Escherichia coli enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) strain than those in the group of mice immunized without the LTB strain. While, there was no significant difference between these two groups in antigen-specific serum IgG responses. The results showed that LTB could act as mucosal immune adjuvant. To assess the nature of immunity, the distribution of antigen-specific IgG isotypes was analyzed. All groups promoted Th1-type immunity as determined by the IgG2a/IgG1 ratio. Thus, our findings provided evidence that immunization with a combination of several vaccine strains is one of the strategies of developing effective vaccines against APEC.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.219-224
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to provide basic data necessary for the prevention of food poisoning and safe food management. We examined 872 food samples for B. cereus in accordance with the MFDS Food Code and investigated characteristics of their harboring toxin genes. We detected and isolated 113 strains of B. cereus from 78 food samples (8.9%), and the average detection level was 48 CFU/g. B. cereus isolates carried at least 1 toxin gene among the emetic toxins and 5 enterotoxin genes. The toxin gene profiles of B. cereus were classified into 18 different types of isolates showing genetic diversity. Among the strains, 34 (30.1%) had all 5 enterotoxin genes (Cytk-nheA-entFM-bceT-hblC), accounting for the highest percentage. The entFM and nheA genes were major enterotoxin genes, while the emetic toxin gene, CER, was the least detected in B. cereus isolated from food samples.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.734-742
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• 2021

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence and species of coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) in retail pork meat samples collected during nationwide monitoring. The staphylococcal isolates were characterized for antimicrobial and zinc chloride resistance and enterotoxigenic potential. Methods: A total of 260 pre-packaged pork meat samples were collected from 35 retail markets in 8 provinces in Korea for isolation of staphylococci. Antimicrobial and zinc chloride resistance phenotypes, and genes associated with the resistance phenotypes were determined on the isolates. Furthermore, the presence and distribution of 19 staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes and enterotoxin-like genes among the pork-associated staphylococci were determined by multiplex polymerase chain reaction-based assays using the specific primer sets. Results: A total of 29 staphylococcal strains (29/260, 11.1%) were isolated from samples of retail pork meat, 24 (83%) of which were CoNS. The four CoNS species identified were S. saprophyticus (n = 16, 55%), S. sciuri (n = 3, 10%), S. warneri (n = 3, 10%), and S. epidermidis (n = 2, 7%). Among the 29 isolates, four methicillin-resistant CoNS (MR-CoNS; three S. sciuri and one S. epidermidis) and one methicillin-resistant CoPS (MR-CoPS; one S. aureus) were identified. In addition, a relatively high level of tetracycline (TET) resistance (52%) was confirmed in CoNS, along with a predominant distribution of tet(K). The most prevalent SEs were sep (45%), and sen (28%), which were carried by 81% of S. saprophyticus. Conclusion: These findings suggest that CoNS, especially S. saprophyticus strains, in raw pork meat could be a potential risk factor for staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP), and therefore, requires further investigation to elucidate the role of SEls in SFP and virulence of the pathogen. Our results also suggest that CoNS from raw pork meat may act as a source for transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes such as staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec and tet(K).

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.327-332
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• 1999

The prevalence and serotype of food-borne pathogens was investigated from 888 samples of chilled meat, 222 samples of packed frozen meat and 117 samples of imported frozen meat during the period from March 1996 to October 1998. Isolation rates of pathogens associated with food poisoning were revealed in order of Staphyloccus aureus, Campylobacter jejuni /coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp, but Escherichia coli O157:H7 was not isolated in all of the meat samples. Amusingly, Campylobacter jejuni /coli were isolated highly in refrigerated meat, but was not isolated in packed frozen meat. L. monocytogenes was encounted higher isolation frequency in packed frozen chicken meat than in refrigerated chicken meat. In the distribution of serotypes of isolates, most isolates of Sta. aureus classified as enterotoxin type C and D. All of the Salmonella spp. isolated from pork were diagnosed group A and most of isolates from chicken meat were grouped B and D. Most of L. monocytogenes isolated from chicken meat were grouped type 1 and a few number of isolates classified as type 4.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.73-95
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• 1986

A total of 5,462 isolates suspicious of Salmonella, Shigella and E. coli which were isolated during 1983 to 1985 by 12 City Hygine Laboratories and General Hospital Laboratories were received and identified at the National Salmonella Center, Seoul, Korea. The result of identification of these strains were summarized as follows: 1. It was confirmed that the total organisms broke down into 2,014 strains of Salmonella 1,294 of which were S. typhi, 887 strains of Shigella and 2,561 strains of E. coli. 2. For seasonal distribution of enteric pathogens, July was the month with the highest out breaks of salmonellosis, May was the month of Shigellosis, and April was of the highest month it in the case of E. coli. 3. Salmonella typhi with the highest incidence of isolation was shown to belong to various phage types, especially with the strains detected in Seoul. M1 type was widely distributed all over the country, but the majority was E1 type in 1983. 4. For age distribution of patients, the 20-29 age group had the highest incidence of salmonellosis whileas the 1 to 9 age group had the highest incidence of Shigellosis. 5. For sexuly distribution of Salmonella and Shigella infections seemed to be relatively higher in the female than in the male. However, E. coli. had no relationship to both sex. 6. The antibiotic sensitivity patterns of S. typhi cultures showed a tendancy to be resistant to colistin, gentamycin, neomycin, tetracycline and streptomycin. 7. The isolates of S. paratyphi-A, S. typhimurium and S. enteritidis seemed to have a tendency of multiple drug resistance. 8. 93.9 percent of 1,568 E. coli strains showed negative reactions to the antisera of enteropathogenic E. coli and 15.6 percent of them produced a heat-labile enterotoxin, but positive reaction to the antisera was 6.1 percent and 11.6 percent of them producled the enterotoxin.