Multi-locus sequence typing and virulence profile in strains isolated from dairy products.

Members of 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 isolated from dairy products, have been typed using Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) analysis and investigated for the occurrence of 10 enterotoxigenic genes (, , , , , , , , and ) and one emetogenic gene (), 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 (92%), (86%), (82%) and (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 isolated from dairy products.