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PROCESSING, PRODUCTS, AND FOOD SAFETY |



* Egg Safety and Quality Research Unit,
Poultry Processing Research Unit,
Poultry Microbiological Safety Research Unit, and || Bacteriology, Epidemiology, and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Athens, GA 30604; and
Department of Food Safety and Technology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602
1 Corresponding author: mmusgrov{at}saa.ars.usda.gov
| ABSTRACT |
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Key Words: Salmonella Escherichia coli egg antimicrobial resistance
| INTRODUCTION |
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Studies were conducted in 2003 to monitor microbial populations, including Salmonella and other Enterobacteriaceae, along the shell egg-processing chain (Musgrove, 2004;a, Musgrove et al., 2005b). This paper reports on the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of E. coli and Salmonella recovered in that study.
| MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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A survey of in-line egg-processing facilities in the southeastern United States was conducted. Three plants were selected for sampling on 3 separate processing days. These plants were designated as X, Y, and Z to protect the anonymity of the participating companies. A more detailed description of the plants has been previously published (Musgrove et al., 2005b).
Shell Egg-Sample Collection
Eggs were collected from commercial plants at the following points of processing: at the accumulator, at pre-wash wetting, after the first washer, after the second washer, at the sanitizing rinse, at drying, at oiling, at check detection and weighing, at packaging (at 2 different packer head belts), at the entrance of the rewash belt, and at the exit of the rewash belt. Eggs were collected after the line had been operating for at least 2 h but during the midmorning break so as not to interfere with processing. This also allowed samples to be taken simultaneously from all sampling sites. Twelve eggs from each collection site were aseptically placed into clean foam cartons, packed into half-cases, and transported back to the laboratory.
Shell Egg-Sampling Methodologies
As described in Musgrove et al. (2005b), 10 of the 12 eggs collected at each site were sampled using a shell rinse technique. Each egg was placed into a sterile Whirl-Pak bag (Nasco Modesto, Modesto, CA) with 10 mL of sterile PBS and rinsed by shaking for 1 min. Rinsate from the rinse and the crush method for every egg was then subjected to microbiological analyses as previously described (Musgrove et al., 2005b).
Water-Sampling Methodology
Water samples were collected from the washer tanks in each of the 3 shell egg-processing plants and analyzed for pH, temperature, chlorine, protein, solids, and minerals, including iron, using procedures described previously (Northcutt et al., 2005). Samples were enriched for Salmonella. Collection procedures and other details are described in a previously published article (Northcutt et al., 2005).
Direct Plating Microbiology
Microbial populations from the individual samples described above were enumerated for Enterobacteriaceae on violet red bile glucose agar (Becton, Dickinson and Co., Franklin Lakes, NJ) plates with overlay (purple-red colonies) as previously described. Presumptive colonies were counted and reported as log cfu/mL of egg rinsate. Up to 5 isolates for each positive sample were randomly selected for further analysis. An isolate from the third streak plate was saved on brain heart infusion agar slants at 37°C and Protect beads (Technical Service Consultants Ltd., Heywood, Lancashire, UK) at 20°C until further analyses for identification could be performed. Identification of Isolates A more detailed description of sampling methodology has been published previously (Musgrove, 2004). Each stored isolate was streaked onto plate count agar and incubated overnight at 37°C. A cultural suspension using 5 mL of physiological saline was prepared from each isolate. BioMérieux API 20 E strips (bioMérieux, Marcy lEtoile, France) were inoculated, incubated, handled, and analyzed according to the manufacturers instructions. Reactions were recorded, and identifications were determined using Apilab Plus software (bioMerieux).
Salmonella Enrichment
For each of the 12 collection sites, 2 pooled samples were formed by combining shell egg rinses or crushed shells and membranes from 5 eggs. Samples were preenriched in buffered peptone water at 35°C for 18 to 24 h, followed by enrichment in TT broth (Becton, Dickinson and Co.) and Rappaport-Vassiliadis broth (Becton, Dickinson and Co.) overnight at 42°C. Enriched samples were plated onto BG Sulfa (Becton, Dickinson and Co.) and XLT-4 (Becton, Dickinson and Co.) agar plates and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Presumptive positive colonies were inoculated into lysine iron agar (Becton, Dickinson and Co.) and triple sugar iron slants (Becton, Dickinson and Co.) and incubated at 35°C for 18 to 24 h. Those samples giving presumptive results on each of these media were confirmed using serogrouping antisera (Becton, Dickinson and Co.). Confirmed isolates were then streaked for purity and stocked onto agar slants and ceramic beads in cryogenic protective media. A copy of each isolate was provided to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (Ames, IA) for serotyping. A sample was recorded as positive if it was confirmed and serotyped from either the shell rinse or crushed shell and membrane composite samples.
Antibiogram Methodology
Salmonella and generic E. coli were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a semiautomated broth microdilution system (Sensititre, TREK Diagnostic Systems Inc., Cleveland, OH). Custom-made panels of 16 antimicrobial drugs were configured in 96-well plates (National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, 2005). The minimum inhibitory concentration for each isolate was determined according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, 2003, 2004a,National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, b). Breakpoint interpretations used in the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) were used when Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines were not available (NARMS, 2005).
| RESULTS AND DISCUSSION |
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Antibiogram patterns for E. coli isolates are summarized in Table 1
. Most of the 194 isolates in this study (73.2%) were pan susceptible. Antimicrobial agents for which many E. coli isolates exhibited resistance were tetracycline (29.9%), streptomycin (6.2%), and gentamicin (3.1%). Only 1% (n = 2) of the E. coli isolates were resistant to 4 compounds. Many E. coli isolated from meat and poultry have demonstrated resistance to at least one antimicrobial drug (Schroeder et al., 2004; NARMS, 2005). Lanz et al. (2003) analyzed E. coli isolates from veterinary clinical sources in Switzerland, including from laying hens. Of the 16 antimicrobial drugs tested, the isolates in the Swiss study were most resistant to sulfonamides, tetracycline, and streptomycin. Sulfonamides, tetracycline, and streptomycin are the oldest drugs used in infectious disease, and it is not surprising that some level of resistance would have emerged over time (Salyers and Whitt, 2005). In a NARMS summary of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli collected from a variety of species from 1998 to 2003, gentamicin resistance ranged from 14.7 to 26.5%, streptomycin resistance ranged from 35.4 to 62.2%, and tetracycline resistance ranged from 36 to 79.9% (NARMS, 2005). Levels of resistance for these compounds were considerably lower in the E. coli isolates analyzed in the present study compared with the published reports. In our study, prevalence of multiple resistances was 20.6% for 1 compound, 5.2% for 2 compounds, and 1.0% for 4 compounds.
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Escherichia coli and Salmonella isolates analyzed in the current study displayed resistance to antimicrobial drugs. However, as expected, Salmonella resistance was serotype-dependent. Salmonella isolates were more likely to be resistant to antimicrobial drugs and displayed a larger number of multiple resistances. This observation was influenced by the fact that many of the isolates were S. Typhimurium, a serotype that has been previously reported as exhibiting multiple resistances. These data indicate that shell eggs and shell egg processing water can harbor resistant foodborne and commensal bacteria.
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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Received for publication January 5, 2006. Accepted for publication April 6, 2006.
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M. T. Musgrove, J. K. Northcutt, D. R. Jones, N. A. Cox, and M. A. Harrison Enterobacteriaceae and Related Organisms Isolated from Shell Eggs Collected During Commercial Processing Poult. Sci., June 1, 2008; 87(6): 1211 - 1218. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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