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Surveillance and molecular typing of Cronobacter spp. in commercial powdered infant formula and follow‐up formula from 2011 to 2013 in Shandong Province, China
Author(s) -
Zhang Huaning,
Hou Peibin,
Lv Hui,
Chen Yuzhen,
Li Xinpeng,
Ren Yanyan,
Wang Mei,
Tan Hailian,
Bi Zhenwang
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.8021
Subject(s) - pulsed field gel electrophoresis , infant formula , multilocus sequence typing , cronobacter , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , contamination , typing , veterinary medicine , cefoxitin , food science , enterobacter , medicine , bacteria , genetics , escherichia coli , genotype , ecology , gene , staphylococcus aureus
BACKGROUND Infection with Cronobacter spp. leads to neonatal meningitis, necrotizing enterocolitis and bacteremia. Cronobacter spp. are reported to comprise an important pathogen contaminating powdered infant formula ( PIF ) and follow‐up formula ( FUF ), although little is known about the contamination level of Cronobacter spp. in PIFs and FUFs in China. RESULTS In total, 1032 samples were collected between 2011 and 2013. Forty‐two samples were positive, including 1.6% in PIFs and 6.5% in FUFs . The strains were susceptible to most antibiotics except for cefoxitin. Pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis after Xba I digestion produced a total of 36 banding patterns. The 38 strains were found in 27 sequence types (STs), of which nine types (ST454 to ST462) had not been reported in other countries. The clinically relevant strains obtained from the 38 isolates in the present study comprised three ST3, two ST4, two ST8 and one ST1. CONCLUSION The contamination rate in the PIF and FUF has stayed at a relatively high level. The contamination rate of PIF was significantly lower than FUF. The isolates had high susceptibility to the antibiotics tested, except cefoxitin. There were polymorphisms between the Cronobacter spp. as indicated by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing. Therefore, contamination with Cronobacter spp. remains a current issue for commercial infant formulas in China. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry