Open AccessMulti-locus sequence typing and virulence profile in <em>Bacillus cereus sensu</em> lato strains isolated from dairy products
Author(s) -
Angelica Bianco,
Loredana Capozzi,
Angela Miccolupo,
Simona Iannetti,
Maria Luisa Danzetta,
Laura Del Sambro,
Marta Caruso,
Gianfranco Santagada,
Antonio Parisi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
italian journal of food safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.359
H-Index - 13
ISSN - 2239-7132
DOI - 10.4081/ijfs.2020.8401
Subject(s) - bacillus cereus , cereus , biology , multilocus sequence typing , virulence , enterotoxin , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , typing , locus (genetics) , genotype , genetics , bacteria , escherichia coli
Members of Bacillus cereus group are important food contaminants and they are of relevant interest in food safety and public heath due to their ability to cause two distinct forms of food poisoning, emetic and diarrhoeal syndrome. In the present study, 90 strains of B. cereus isolated from dairy products, have been typed using Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) analysis and investigated for the occurrence of 10 enterotoxigenic genes (hblA, hblC, hblD, nheA, nheB, nheC, cytK, entFM, entS and bceT) and one emetogenic gene (ces), to determine their genetic diversity. A total of 58 sequence types were identified and among these 17 were signalled as new profiles. Among the virulence genes, the majority of our strains carried the entS (92%), entFM (86%), nhe (82%) and cytK (72%) genes. All remaining genes were identified in at least one strain with different prevalence, stressing the genetic diversity, how even the different grade of pathogenicity of B. cereus isolated from dairy products.