title: The prevalence of Clostridium botulinum in European river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) in Finland.
abstract: The prevalence of Clostridium botulinum types A, B, E and F in river lampreys caught in Finnish rivers was determined for the first time using a quantitative PCR-MPN (most probable number) analysis. One of 67 raw whole lampreys (1.5%) was positive for the botulinum neurotoxin type E gene, with the estimated C. botulinum count being 100spores/kg. Two type E strains were isolated from the positive sample and confirmed as different genotypes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Although the current procedure of bringing the charcoal-broiled lampreys to market has been without any further packaging or extended storage, interest towards increasing the shelf life of the product by vacuum-packaging is increasing. Our results demonstrate that C. botulinum type E may constitute a safety hazard in processed lampreys from the Baltic Sea area if packaging and extended shelf lives are to be used. To control the potential risk, a storage temperature of 3 degrees C or below should be recommended for these products.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, FIN-00014, Finland. lauri.merivirta@fimnet.fi
authors.forename: Lauri O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Merivirta
authors.forename: Miia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lindström
authors.forename: K Johanna
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Björkroth
authors.forename: Hannu J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Korkeala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D018857:Food Packaging; D006801:Humans; D007798:Lampreys / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017747:Seafood / Q000382:microbiology*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013696:Temperature; D014618:Vacuum
chemical_list: D001905:Botulinum Toxins