INCIDENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF AEROMONAS HYDROPHILA GROUP IN MEAT AND SOME MEAT PRODUCTS IN ASSIUT

Document Type : Research article

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Abstract

75 beef cuts (chilled in the lab.), Frozen minced meat and Frozen sausage (25 each) were collected from different butcher's shops and different localities of different sanitation levels at Assiut. These samples were examined for the presence of Aeromonas hydrophila group, using enrichment procedure and surface spread plate technique. The obtained results pointed out that 44%,
56% and 28% of the examined beefcuts meat "chilled in the lab.", frozen minced meat and frozen sausage respectively, while no Aeromonas hydrophila group was recovered from beef cuts meat at "zero time". 52 Aeromonas hydrophila strains isolated in this study were characterized according to species level as follows: 33 Aeromonas hydrophila, 12 Aeromonas caviae and 7 as Aeromonas sobria. All strains were examined for their ability to produce haemolysin as a virulence factor. Strains identified as Aeromonas hydrophila were the strongest producers of haemolysin. Concerning Gelatinase and DNase, the majority of the 52 strains had DNase and Gelatinase activities. The public health and economic significance of the obtained results were discussed.

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