Antimicrobial and Phylogenomic Characterization of Group Strains Isolated from Different Food Sources in Italy.

is a widespread environmental Gram-positive bacterium which is especially common in soil and dust. It produces two types of toxins that cause vomiting and diarrhea. At present, foodborne outbreaks due to group bacteria (especially sensu stricto) are rising, representing a serious problem in the agri-food supply chain.

Application of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to Discriminate Two Closely Related Bacterial Species: and Sensu Stricto.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) is a diagnostic technique historically used in the microbiological field for the characterization of bacterial strains in relation to the specific composition of their lipid, protein, and polysaccharide components. For each bacterial strain, it is possible to obtain a unique absorption spectrum that represents the fingerprint obtained based on the components of the outer cell membrane. In this study, FTIRS was applied for the first time as an experimental diagnostic tool for the discrimination of two pathogenic species belonging to the group, and sensu stricto; these are two closely related species that are not so easy to differentiate using classical microbiological methods, representing an innovative technology in the field of animal health.

Toxigenic Genes, Pathogenic Potential and Antimicrobial Resistance of Group Isolated from Ice Cream and Characterized by Whole Genome Sequencing.

is isolated from a variety of foods where it may cause food spoilage and/or food poisoning due to its toxigenic and pathogenic nature. In this study, we identified members of groups in 65% of the ice cream samples analyzed, which were characterized based on multi locus variable number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). The MLVA revealed that 36 strains showed different allelic profiles.

Discrimination of Group Members by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry.

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technology is currently increasingly used in diagnostic laboratories as a cost effective, rapid and reliable routine technique for the identification and typing of microorganisms. In this study, we used MALDI-TOF MS to analyze a collection of 160 strains belonging to the group (57 , 49 , 1 , 18 , 27 , 7 and 1 ) and to detect specific biomarkers which would allow an unequivocal identification. The Main Spectra Profiles (MSPs) were added to an in-house reference library, expanding the current commercial library which does not include and mass spectra.

Fate of Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) under simulated acidic conditions of the human stomach.

A known amount (10 cfu/ml) of animal origin Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) ST398/t011/V and of human origin MRSA ST1/t127/IVa strains were individually inoculated into cheese and hamburger samples. The pH of each food matrix was gradually decreased from 6.0 down to 2.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Multilocus Sequence Typing of Isolated Over 11 Years from Food, Humans, and the Environment in Italy.

Due to the increasing number of studies reporting the detection of antimicrobial-resistant isolates of , we sought to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates collected in Italy and find potential correlations to their serotypes and multilocus sequence types (MLST). The antimicrobial susceptibility of 317 isolates collected from food, humans, and the environment from 1998 to 2009 was assessed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Serotyping and MLST was also performed on all isolates.

spp. in bovine milk: An emerging pathogen with potential zoonotic risk.

The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and genetic characteristics of spp. in bovine bulk tank milk produced in Apulia Region (Italy). Samples collected from 396 dairy farms, after enrichment in a selective broth, were subjected to an genus - specific Real Time PCR.