Moist-heat resistance, spore aging, and superdormancy in Clostridium difficile.

ABSTRACT: Clostridium difficile spores can survive extended heating at 71°C (160°F), a minimum temperature commonly recommended for adequate cooking of meats. To determine the extent to which higher temperatures would be more effective at killing C. difficile, we quantified (D values) the effect of moist heat at 85°C (145°F, for 0 to 30 min) on C. difficile spores and compared it to the effects at 71 and 63°C. Fresh (1-week-old) and aged (≥20-week-old) C. difficile spores from food and food animals were tested in multiple experiments. Heating at 85°C markedly reduced spore recovery in all experiments (5 to 6 log(10) within 15 min of heating; P < 0.001), regardless of spore age. In ground beef, the inhibitory effect of 85°C was also reproducible (P < 0.001), but heating at 96°C reduced 6 log(10) with

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez-Palacios A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3126382 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature