Distribution and genotypic characterization of Salmonella serovars isolated from tropical seafood of Cochin, India.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the distribution of Salmonella serovars in seafood and to examine the intraserovar genetic variations in Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Rissen and Salmonella Weltevreden by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-ribotyping and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR methods.


RESULTS
A total of 417 seafood samples collected over 2003-2006 from fishing harbours and fish markets of Cochin (India) was studied for presence of Salmonella serovars. Seafood samples were analysed for the presence of Salmonella by Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM), U.S. Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) method. The study indicated that 23.2% of the seafood samples were positive for Salmonella and a total of 241 Salmonella isolates comprising of 27 different serovars were isolated from seafood. S. Weltevreden, Salmonella Rissen, Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Derby were found to be the most predominant serovars in seafood. PCR-ribotypes and ERIC-PCR profiles showed multiple genotypic profiles for S. Rissen and S. Weltevreden in seafood and the level of discrimination indices obtained was at 0.974 for S. Rissen and 0.988 for S. Weltevreden, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The study highlighted the major Salmonella serovars in the seafood of Cochin (India) and molecular fingerprinting pattern revealed genetic variation among S. Rissen and S. Weltevreden.


CONCLUSIONS
Widespread occurrence of Salmonella contamination in seafood and multiple clones of S. Rissen and S. Weltevreden detected in seafood, thus, indicated the diverse routes of Salmonella contamination in seafood.
Kumar
R
R
Microbiology, Fermentation and Biotechnology Division, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin, India. rakesh_cift@rediffmail.com
Surendran
P K
PK
Thampuran
N
N
D000818:Animals; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D007194:India; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D021521:Ribotyping; D012475:Salmonella / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017747:Seafood / Q000382:microbiology*; D012703:Serotyping
D004269:DNA, Bacterial