Arcobacter spp. in raw milk from vending machines in Piedmont and occurrence of virulence genes in isolates

摘要

Arcobacter spp has been recognized as an emerging foodborne pathogen and a hazard to human health In the dairy chain, it has been isolated from different sources, nevertheless data on Arcobacter occurrence in raw milk provided by vending machines are few This study aimed to identify potentially pathogenic Arcobacter spp in raw milk intended for human consumption sold through vending machines located in Piedmont In an 8month period, 37 raw milk samples were collected from 24 dairy farms: 12 (32,4%) were collected directly in farm from bulk tank milk and 25 (67,6%) from vending machines Eight (21,6%) out of the 37 milk samples and 7 (29,2%) out of the 24 dairy farms were positive for Arcobacter spp by culture examination Four (16%) out of the 25 samples from vending machines and 4 (33,3%) out of the 12 samples from bulk tank milk were positive All 8 isolates were identified as A butzleri both by MALDITOF MS and multiplex endpoint PCR According to the detection of virulence genes, a total of four Pathotypes were highlighted: 5 isolates in Ptype 1 and only one isolate for each of the Ptypes 234 A butzleri isolates carrying encoding virulence factors genes were isolated from raw milk intended for human consumption: these findings strengthen the compulsory consumption after boiling as required by current legislation and suggest the need of enlarging the analytical investigations to other microorganisms not yet included in the food safety criteria.