Prevalence of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Sweets from Local Markets in Iran
Babak Pakbin,
Zahra Amani,
Zahra Rahimi,
Somayeh Najafi,
Behnaz Familsatarian,
Alireza Khakpoor,
Wolfram Manuel Brück,
Thomas B. Brück
Affiliations
Babak Pakbin
Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Lichtenberg Str. 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
Zahra Amani
Department of Food Hygiene and Quality of Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417614411, Iran
Zahra Rahimi
Department of Food Safety and Health, School of Public Health, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin 34197-59811, Iran
Somayeh Najafi
Nutrition and Food Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical University (IAUTMU), Tehran 19395-1495, Iran
Behnaz Familsatarian
Medical Microbiology Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin 34197-59811, Iran
Alireza Khakpoor
Department of Management, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177948974, Iran
Wolfram Manuel Brück
Institute for Life Technologies, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland Valais-Wallis, 1950 Sion 2, Switzerland
Thomas B. Brück
Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Lichtenberg Str. 4, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalences of some important antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) and foodborne bacterial pathogens in sweet samples collected from local markets in Iran. Methods: Forty sweet samples were collected. Foodborne pathogens and ARGs were detected in the sweet samples by conventional and multiplex PCR assays using species-specific primers. Results: Staphylococcus aureus, Cronobacter sakazakii, Shigella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, and Campylobacter coli were detected and identified in 47.5%, 20%, 45%, 5%, and 30% of the sweet samples, respectively. We found S. aureus and Shigella spp. were the most prevalent bacterial pathogens. S. aureus was found to be the most frequent pathogenic bacteria profiled in these samples. We also found a significant correlation between the presence of C. coli and Cr. sakazakii. We detected the blaSHV resistance gene in 97.5% of the sweet samples; however, blaTEM was detected in only one sample (2.5%). Conclusions: Regarding these results, we suggest preventive strategies such as implementing automation of food processing; monitoring the personal hygiene and health of food handlers, and testing regularly for antibiotic resistance in raw materials and products.
