A study was conducted to estimate the prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility and distribution of Salmonella strains in raw chicken gizzards in 11 municipalities (Abobo,

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and determine the molecular virulence of the pathogenic Yersinia spp. strains recovered from raw pig samples from a slaughterhouse in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. A total of 460 raw pig samples including 200 tongues, 150 tonsils, 110 feces, were characterized phenotypically and genotypically for virulence genes. The strains were also tested for the presence of virulence gene using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Nine (2%) Yersinia strains were isolated from the 460 samples. The isolates belonged to various bio-serogroup such as Yersinia enterocolitica 4/O:3/VIII (33.3%), Yersinia intermedia 4/autoagglutinable (44.4%) and Y. intermedia 5/O:7,8-8-8,19 (22.2%). Tonsils were the most contaminated organ from pig with 66.7% of isolated Yersinia strains. The Yersinia strains exhibited phenotypic virulence characteristics and virulence genes such as ail (3/9), ystA (8/9) and yadA (2/9). Two Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 strains carried simultaneously all three virulence genes. Among these bacteria, virulent strains of Y. enterocolitica were found, with biotype and serogroup related to human diseases, representing a risk for the consumers of pork. This study is the first that documented the occurrence of pathogenic Yersinia and related species in pigs in Côte d'Ivoire. The occurrence of virulence strains of Y. enterocolitica shows that pork is a potential source of human infection by this species and the circulation of Yersinia spp. in pigs in Côte d'Ivoire.

Probiotification of plant milk can improve its sensory and health-promoting properties. As traditional fermented foods where lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are present have been associated with beneficial effects on human health, the beneficial effects of two LAB recently isolated from two current Ivorian staple foods (a pepper and a traditional beer) were screened. These two strains LAC 1 (Lactobacillus plantarum) and LAC 2 (Pediococcus acidilactici) which presented probiotic, exopolysaccharides, inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities, were used to ferment a composite plant milk of tiger-nut and cashew (80/20) compared to two starters of a commercial yogourt. The obtained plant milks SCT 2 and SCT 3 with a significant increase in their antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory activities and lactic bacteria contents were more preferred by consumers than SCT 1 obtained by fermentation of the commercial yogourt starters. The mixing of LAC 1 and LAC 2 was not beneficial. SCT 2 (with an anti-inflammatory activity of 31.38% and an anti-oxidant activity of 17.30%) and SCT 3 (with an anti-oxidant activity of 22.28) could be further tested in animal models to verify their nutrition-health claims.

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A total of 150 samples of pig tonsils were collected from slaughterhouse in Abidjan; the pigs were from pig farms located in different areas of Côte d'Ivoire. Samples were examined for the presence of Yersinia intermedia. Optimal recovery of Y. intermedia was achieved using two step enrichment procedures based on pre-enrichment in trypticase soya broth at 28 °C for 24 h, followed by cold enrichment method at 4 °C for 21 days in phosphate buffered saline broth. Then, Aulisio's alkali treatment method was performed before streaking onto MacConkey agar. Six strains of Yersinia intermedia were isolated and tested for the following characteristics associated to the virulence in Y. enterocolitica such as pyrazinamidase activity and autoagglutinability. All the six strains were all positive for the pyrazinamidase test and four of them were autoagglutinable. Four strains were biotype 4/autoagglutinable and two were biotype 5/O:7,8-8-8,19. All the six strains of Yersinia intermedia were rhamnose negative and not motile at 25 °C. The results of antimicrobial resistance showed that all the strains presented multiple antibiotic resistance. The results indicate that 4% of pig tonsils from different farms collected at the slaughterhouse were contaminated with Yersinia intermedia. This study is the first which shows the presence of Yersinia intermedia in pigs in Côte d'Ivoire.