Arcobacter Species and Their Risks in Some Meat and Fish With a Sodium Acetate and Sodium Chloride Intervention

Abstract

A surveillance study of retail foods was conducted in Assiut, Egypt to assess the presence of Arcobacter spp. on retail food samples. A total of 75 fresh samples of beef, minced beef, and fish (Oreochromis niloticus), 25 each were purchased from fresh markets in Assiut city and tested for Arcobacter spp. The survey was carried out by differential culture, phenotying and genotyping. A total 35 (47 %) of samples was contaminated with Arcobacer spp. Beef was the most contaminated 13(52%) followed by minced beef 12(48%) then fish 10 (40%). By genotyping using PCR, only a total 11 (15%) of samples harbor Arcobacter spp. Five (20%) of beef, 2 (8%) of minced beef and 4 (16%) of fish were contaminated with Arcobacter spp. When the isolates were confirmed by genus-based PCR, A. butzleri, A. skirrowii and A. cryaerophilus were present in a total 4 (5%), 5 (7%) and 2 (3%) of examined retail foods. The highest A. butzleri contamination level was in beef samples 2 (8%). A. cryaerophilus, A. skirrowii and A. butzleri were examined for their susceptibilities to antibiotics using a disk-diffusion method. All were resistant to Lincomycin, Vancomycin, Tetracycline. Cloxacillin, Cephradine, Novobiocin and Oxacillin but susceptible to Gentamycin and Neomycin. With the exception of A. cryaerophilus the tested Arcobacters were susceptible to Ciprofloxacillin. The effect of sodium acetate (SA) and sodium chloride (SC) on growth inhibition of Arcobacter spp. was investigated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum lethal concentration (MLC). Sodium acetate provided overall greater inhibition in comparison with (SC). The MLCs were 6% and 9% for of (SA) and (SC), respectively. The corresponding MIC values were 4% and 6%, respectively. The combined effect of (3% SC) and SA at different concentrations (0.01 -0.05%) were tested against A. butzleri in the growth medium. A significant (P ˂ 0 .05) reduction level of A. butzleri cells was obtained by the combination of 3% (SC) and 0.04 or 0.05% (SA). The greatest reduction (2.7 log) was achieved by the combined effect of 3% (SC) and 0.05% (SA). In minced beef model, (3% SC + 0.05% SA) mixture took 12 h to produce 1 log reduction in the initial A. butzleri count and the reduction was proximate at 24h period. The difference in A. butzleri count between treatment and control samples was significant (P ˂ 0.05). The present study identified beef and minced beef as important food sources of A. butzleri which pose a threat for human health. Also it cleared that fish at retail has been detected to be a further food matrix for A. butzleri. Regarding the enteropathogen A. butzleri, (3% SC + 0.05% SA) mixture can improve the safety of minced meat under refrigerate storage. This study also shows that Gentamycin would be drugs of choice and Neomycin as alternative for treatment of Arcobacter borne gastrointestinal infection in this geographical area. The public health significance of Arcobacter spp. and the control measures were also discussed.