DETECTION OF ENTEROTOXIGENIC BACILLUS CEREUS ISOLATED FROM MEAT PRODUCTS IN ZANJAN BY PCR

Background and Aim:Most of Bacillus cereus isolates can cause diarrhoeal and emetic types of food poisoning. The diarrhoeal illnesses can be caused by hemolysin BL (HBL), non-hemolytic (NHE) and cytotoxin K. Use of meat products is common nowadays. There is no precise report of B. cereus contamination in Iran, therefore it is important to study in this case.Methods:100 meat products were collected form stores in Zanjan then the samples were cultured in PEMPA. Following the biochemical tests, the bacterial colonies were identified by PCR. Then B. cereus isolates were checked for NHE complex genes by specific primers using PCR.Results:Results showed that 30 samples of 100 were contaminated with B. cereus. The NHE complex genes were found in 15 samples.Conclusion:The results of this study have shown that NHE PCR is a prompt, reliable method for differentiation between non-enterotoxigenic and enterotoxigenic isolates of B. cereus. Enhancing awareness about virulence and prevalence of genes involved in food poisoning would be effective in the prevention of food poisoning.

Keywords:

Bacillus cereus , Meat products , NHE complex , PCR