STUDY ON INCIDENCE OF BACILLUS SPP. IN READY-TO- EAT FOODS, BEVERAGES AND WATER FROM DIFFERENT TOURIST PLACES OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2018
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CSKHPKV, Palampur
Abstract
The present study was designed with the aim to determine the incidence of Bacillus species in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, beverages and water from different tourist places of Himachal Pradesh. Bacillus were also analyzed for the presence of toxin genes and antimicrobial susceptibility. A total of 220 samples; RTE milk products (n=80), RTE meat products (n=40), beverages (n=40) and water (n=60) were tested. In addition, 50 stool samples from hospitalized patients were also screened. Bacillus isolates were characterized by cultural and biochemical methods and reconfirmed by amplifying 16S rRNA (1500 bp) through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Bacillus isolates were characterized for the presence of enterotoxins (hbl encoding hemolytic, nhe encoding non-hemolytic and cytK encoding cytotoxic) and emetic toxin (ces) by multiplex PCR. A total of 11.4 per cent (n=25/220) samples tested were contaminated with Bacillus species. These isolates were identified as B. cereus (76%, n=19/25), B. alvei (12%, n=3/25), B. polymyxa (8%, n=2/25) and B. firmus (4%, n=1/25). RTE milk products were found to have the highest incidence of Bacillus (17.5%, n=14/80) followed by water (8.3%, n=5/60), RTE meat products (7.5%, n=3/40) and beverages (7.5%, n=3/40). None of the stool samples were found positive for Bacillus spp. B. cereus recovery was highest from cheese (25%, n=4/16) followed by khoa (14 %, n=3/21) and paneer (8.6 %, n= 2/23) based items. nhe complex was detected as the predominant (76%) enterotoxin gene, followed by cyt K (40%) and hbl gene complex (28%). ces was not present in any of the tested isolates. All the isolates were resistant to cefixime and penicillin. High level of susceptibility was observed for antimicrobial classes; aminoglycosides, quinolones and phenicols. MDR was found in 28 per cent (n=7/25) isolates of Bacillus spp. Highest number of MDR isolates were recovered from RTE milk products (12%) followed by water (8%), RTE meat products (4%) and beverages (4%).
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