https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2021.8585

Occurrence and characterization of Arcobacter spp. from ready-to-eat vegetables produced in Southern Italy

Vol. 10 No. 1 (2021)
Submitted: 30 September 2019
Accepted: 3 December 2019
Published: 25 March 2021
Arcobacter butzleri, Arcobacter cryaerophilus, Ready-to-eat vegetables, Virulence factors, Multilocus sequence typing
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Authors

Anna Mottola
annamottola_2006@libero.it
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Giuseppina Ciccarese
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Lecce, Italy.
Carla Sinisi
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Lecce, Italy.
Alessandra Emilia Savarino
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Patrizia Marchetti
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Valentina Terio
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Giuseppina Tantillo
Interdisciplinary of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Roberta Barrasso
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Angela Di Pinto
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.

Given that the number of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to the consumption of ready-to-eat vegetables has been widely documented and considering that data on the occurrence of Arcobacter spp. in such foodstuffs are lacking, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of Arcobacter spp. and the occurrence of virulence factors as well as to genotype Arcobacter spp. in ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable samples, using cultural and biomolecular assays. Arcobacter spp. was detected in 16/110 (14.5%) samples, with A. butzleri being detected in 15/16 and A. cryaerophilus in 1/16 isolates. PCRs aimed at the nine putative virulence genes demonstrated widespread distribution of such genes among A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus isolates. In addition, multilocus sequence type (MLST) analysis revealed a low genetic diversity within the arcobacters isolates. The results underline the need to develop an appropriate surveillance system based on biomolecular characterization for an integrated microbiological risk assessment of ready-toeat vegetables, and consequently of composite foods.

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1.
Mottola A, Ciccarese G, Sinisi C, Savarino AE, Marchetti P, Terio V, Tantillo G, Barrasso R, Di Pinto A. Occurrence and characterization of <em>Arcobacter</em> spp. from ready-to-eat vegetables produced in Southern Italy. Ital J Food Safety [Internet]. 2021 Mar. 25 [cited 2024 Dec. 22];10(1). Available from: https://www.pagepressjournals.org/ijfs/article/view/8585

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