Occurrence and Characterization of Cronobacter spp. in Dehydrated Rice Powder from Chinese Supermarket

Yan Huang; Yiheng Pang; Hong Wang; Zhengzhu Tang; Yan Zhou; Weiyu Zhang; Xiugui Li; Dongmei Tan; Jian Li; Ying Lin; Xiaoling Liu; Weiyi Huang; Yunliang Shi

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0131053

Occurrence and Characterization of Cronobacter spp. in Dehydrated Rice Powder from Chinese Supermarket

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 1;10(7):e0131053. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131053. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Yan Huang¹, Yiheng Pang², Hong Wang¹, Zhengzhu Tang¹, Yan Zhou¹, Weiyu Zhang³, Xiugui Li¹, Dongmei Tan¹, Jian Li⁴, Ying Lin⁴, Xiaoling Liu⁴, Weiyi Huang⁵, Yunliang Shi⁶

Affiliations

¹ Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
² The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
³ College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
⁴ Food Quality and Safety Center of Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
⁵ Food Quality and Safety Center of Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
⁶ Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Food Quality and Safety Center of Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.

Abstract

Cronobacter spp. are emerging food-borne pathogens and have been identified as causative agents of meningitis and necrotizing enterocolitis in infants. Dehydrated rice is popular with a wide range of people and it is frequently used as a substitute for infant milk powder to baby older than four months. The occurrence of Cronobacter spp. was investigated in 1,012 samples of dehydrated rice powder collected from 14 manufacturers in China during 2010 to 2012. The isolates were identified using fusA allele sequencing and subtyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Seventy-six samples (7.5%) contained Cronobacter spp. The prevalence among manufacturers ranged from 0-28.8%. The 76 isolates included 4 species [Cronobacter sakazakii (52 isolates) Cronobacter malonaticus (14 isolates), Cronobacter dublinensis (7 isolates), and Cronobacter muytjensii (3 isolates)]. Twenty-three unique fusA alleles and sixty-six PFGE-patterns were detected. All isolated strains were observed to be sensitive or to show intermediate susceptibility to eight tested antimicrobial agents. The study revealed serious contamination of dehydrated rice powder by Cronobacter spp., with prevalence varying among manufacturers in China. Identified Cronobacter species, fusA alleles, and subtypes were diverse.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
China
Cronobacter* / drug effects
Cronobacter* / genetics
Cronobacter* / isolation & purification
Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
Food Microbiology* / statistics & numerical data
Genes, Bacterial / genetics
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Oryza / microbiology*
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 2012GXNSFBA053125 to HY). The funder played role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, and preparation of the manuscript.