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Title: PREVALENCE OF SALMONELLA SEROTYPE TYPHIMURIUM DT104 IN RETAIL GROUND BEEF

Author
item ZHAO, TONG - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item DOYLE, MICHAEL - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Cray, Paula
item ZHAO, PING - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/7/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Salmonella can cause gastroenteritis in man and animals and little is known about the prevalence of Salmonella within food animals. Surveillance data of cattle and human isolates of Salmonella ser. Typhimurium DT104 indicate that this pathogen emerged worldwide, particularly in cattle. Studies were conducted to determine the prevalence of S. ser. Typhimurium DT104 and generic E. coli in ground beef. A total of 404 fresh ground beef samples obtained at retail stores from New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Denver, Atlanta, Houston and Chicago were shipped overnight to Georgia for processing. Salmonella sp. was isolated from fourteen (3.5%) samples. Eight different serotypes were identified including S. ser. Typhimurium DT104A (n=5). Antibiotic-resistance profiles indicated that all five DT104A isolates were resistant to ampicilllin, streptomycin, sulphamethoxazole, ticarcillin and tetracycline, but sensitive to chloramphenicol. All five DT104A isolates were obtained from ground beef samples from retail outlets in San Francisco. A total of 102 samples were positive for generic E. coli. And three isolates were recovered from samples positive for DT104A but no correlation of resistance profiles was observed between DT104A and generic E. These data indicate that S. ser. Typhimurium DT104A can be isolated from retail ground beef and are important for commodity groups, processors and regulatory agencies as they determine ways to eliminate Salmonella from the food chain.

Technical Abstract: Surveillance data of cattle and human isolates of Salmonella ser. Typhimurium ST104 indicate that this pathogen emerged worldwide in the 1980's, particularly in cattle. Studies were conducted to determine the prevalence of S. ser. Typhimurium DT104 and generic E. coli in ground beef. A total of 404 fresh ground beef samples obtained at retail stores from New wYork, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Denver, Atlanta, Houston and Chicago were shipped overnight to Georgia for processing. Salmonella sp. was isolated from fourteen (3.5%) samples. Eight different serotypes were identified among the isolates including S. ser. Typhimurium (5). Antibiotic-resistance profiles indicated that all five S. ser. Typhimurium isolates were resistant to ampicilllin, streptomycin, sulphamethoxazole, ticarcillin and tetracycline, but sensitive to chloramphenicol. Phage typing revealed that S. ser. Typhimurium isolates were DT104A. All five S. .ser. Typhimurium DT104A isolates were obtained from ground beef samples from retail outlets in San Francisco. DNA profiles of the five S. ser. Typhimurium DT104A isolates from ground beef were identical to those of four S. Ser. Typhimurium ST104 penta-resistant isolates from cattle used for comparison. A total of 102 samples were positive for generic E. coli. Three E. coli isolates were recovered from samples positive for S. ser. Typhimurium DT104A. No correlation of resistance profiles was observed between S. ser. Typhimurium DT104A and generic E. coli as two of three E. coli isolates were pan-susceptible, whereas the third isolate was only resistant to cephalothin. These data indicate that S. ser. Typhimurium DT104A can be isolates from retail ground beef.