| DOI: 10.29090/psa.2021.02.19.119 | Pharm Sci Asia 2021; 48(2), 194-203 |
Prevalence, virulence genes, and antimicrobial resistance
of Bacillus cereus isolated from foodstuffs in Pathum Thani Province, ThailandPhornphan Sornchuer1*,
Rattana Tiengtip2
1 Microbiology and Immunology, Department
of Preclinical Science, Faculty of Medicine,
Thammasat University, Klongluang, Pathum
Thani 12120, Thailand
2
Laboratory Section, Faculty of Medicine,
Thammasat University, Klongluang, Pathum
Thani 12120, Thailand
Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) is a food-borne pathogen found in various food products. This study determined the prevalence, presence of virulence genes, and antibiotic resistance profile of B. cereus isolated from various foodstuffs in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand. A total of 150 samples were used (salads, stir-fried vegetables, spicy dressed salads, soups and curries, meat over rice dishes, and miscellaneous foods). Approximately 21% (31/150) of the samples were positive for B. cereus. Phenotypic resistance to 12 antibiotics was determined for 31 B. cereus isolates using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Notably, 30 (97%), 29 (94%), and 30 (97%) isolates were resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, and penicillin, respectively. Most isolates were susceptible to other antibiotics tested, while showing intermediate resistant to rifampicin (68%). The distribution of eight enterotoxin genes was also determined through polymerase chain reaction. The positive rate of the nheA, nheB, nheC, hblA, hblC, hblD, cytK, and entFM genes was 77, 90, 74, 58, 58, 58, 68, and 84%, respectively. This is the first reference for the prevalence and characteristics of B. cereus isolated from food samples in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand. The results suggested that foods contaminated with B. cereus pose a potential risk of causing food-borne disease. Therefore, food processing or post-processing control measures are warranted to ensure safe consumption.
Keyword:
Bacillus cereus; Food-borne pathogen; Antibiotic resistance; Virulence gene; Foodstuff
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