Tetracycline-resistant Bacteria on Food Contact Surfaces in a Raw Pork Processing Plant and Distributions of Their Tetracycline Resistance Genes
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Abstract:
The spread of drug-resistant bacteria poses a serious threat to food safety and human health. In this study, the tetracycline resistance of the contaminated microorganisms on the food-contact surfaces in a large raw pork processing plant was analyzed, and the potential quality and safety hazards in raw pork products. A total of 168 strains were isolated in the 100 samples collected .from the food contact surfaces in the plant. Drug sensitivity tests revealed that 60.7% of the contaminating bacteria were resistant to tetracycline, including Pseudomonas sp., 85.7%; Staphylococcus sp., 85.7%; Serratia sp., 86.7%; Lactococcus sp., 80%; Escherichia coli, 80%; Acinetobacter sp., 60.0%; Aeromonas sp., 55.0%. Through screening 15 tetracycline resistance genes in the isolated strains, nine tetracycline resistance genes with different detection rates were found (including tetL, 7.7%; tetA, 6.0%; tetB, 4.8%; tetC, 4.8%; tetE, 3.6%; tetM, 3.6%; tetS, 3.6%; tetK, 1.2%; tetX, 0.6%). These results indicated the high prevalence and cross contamination of tetracycline-resistant bacteria on food-contact surfaces in the plant and in raw pork products, and the possible spread of tetracycline resistance genes among different bacterial species and along the food chain to humans, which will pose a potential threat to human health.
