Image credit: Bernhard Voß at German Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons
Researchers have identified two emerging bacterial species on Rangpur limes in Brazil, highlighting the importance of food-safety practices when citrus is grown near livestock or poultry operations.
The researchers investigated three bacterial strains recovered during screening of lactic acid bacteria from Rangpur limes. One strain was identified as Escherichia albertii and two as Kosakonia cowanii. The researchers used biochemical testing, rep-PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify the bacteria.
All three strains showed characteristics that warranted additional food-safety attention. They were hemolytic, produced β-galactosidase and showed presumptive amino acid decarboxylase activity. The strains also were resistant to ampicillin and had intermediate susceptibility to nalidixic acid.
The limes were grown in a rural area outside São Paulo where citrus and poultry were produced in close proximity. The researchers suggest that animal-crop interfaces may create opportunities for bacteria to move onto fresh produce, potentially through sources such as irrigation water or soil amendments.
For citrus growers, the finding is a reminder that food safety begins in the grove. It does not mean citrus generally carries these pathogens or that the tested fruit represented an immediate public-health threat. Rather, the study points to the need for continued monitoring and attention to water quality, manure or other soil amendments, animal access and sanitation practices.
The researchers also emphasize that the work was based on a limited number of isolates and that additional testing, including whole-genome sequencing, is needed to better understand the strains’ potential risks.
An article about the study was published Sept. 25 in Microbiology Research. The authors are Marcos Vinício Alves, Giselle Santos Silva, Kayque Ordonho Carneiro, Katia Leani Oliveira de Souza Silva, Emília Maria França Lima and Svetoslav Dimitrov Todorov, all with the University of São Paulo in Brazil. See the full article about the research here.
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