title: Staphylococcus aureus isolated from handmade sweets: Biofilm formation, enterotoxigenicity and antimicrobial resistance.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus is the second most important pathogen involved in foodborne outbreaks in Brazil. Because of their widespread distribution and biofilm forming ability, handmade sweets are easily contaminated with S. aureus. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS) from handmade sweets produced in Pelotas City/Brazil. The virulence potential was checked by evaluating the presence of the staphylococcal enterotoxin genes, icaA and icaD genes, the biofilm forming potential and antimicrobial resistance of the isolates. It was find just S. aureus among the CPS isolates. All the S. aureus isolates had biofilm forming ability on stainless steel and more than half of them on polystyrene surfaces. The majority of the isolates carried the icaA (66.6%) and icaD (58.4%) genes and some of them had the genes encoding enterotoxins A (33.4%) and B (16.6%). Furthermore, the majority of the isolates (83%) were resistant to at least one of the tested antimicrobials and multidrug resistance was observed in 8.4% of the isolates. The isolates had virulence potential, and half of them were enterotoxigenic. In addition, the ability of all the isolates to produce biofilms highlights the danger posed by these potentially virulent microorganisms persisting in food manufacturing environments.
authors.affiliation: Science and Agroindustrial Technology Department, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: isabelaschneid@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Isabela Schneid
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Kroning
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Unit, Technology Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: maryanaiglesias@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mariana Almeida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: carlasehn@unipampa.edu.br.
authors.forename: Carla Pohl
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Sehn
authors.affiliation: Science and Agroindustrial Technology Department, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: tkvgandra@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Tatiane Kuka
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Valente Gandra
authors.affiliation: Science and Agroindustrial Technology Department, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: marcinha.sul@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marcia Magalhães
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.affiliation: Science and Agroindustrial Technology Department, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil; Biotechnology Unit, Technology Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: wladimir@pq.cnpq.br.
authors.forename: Wladimir Padilha
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: da Silva
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D001938:Brazil; D003030:Coagulase / Q000235:genetics; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D003030:Coagulase; D004768:Enterotoxins
keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Biofilm; Enterotoxin; Handmade sweets; S. aureus; ica locus