Prevalence, Virulence Potential, and Growth in Cheese of Bacillus cereus Strains Isolated from Fresh and Short-Ripened Cheeses Sold on the Italian Market.

ABSTRACT: This study investigated B. cereus presence in 122 samples belonging to 34 typologies of fresh or short-ripened cheeses made from cow, sheep, goat, or buffalo pasteurized milk, and sold on the Italian market. B. cereus was isolated at a prevalence of 9.8%, with a marked variability among cheese categories, and at low counts (always below 2.26 Log CFU/g). Twelve isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF analysis and typified by RAPD PCR as belonging to different B. cereus strains. All the strains were tested for the production of hemolysin BL, phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C, proteases, and biofilm formation, and for the presence of chromosomal toxin-encoding genes (sph, plcA, cytK, entFM, bcet, nheA, nheB, nhe

SUBMITTER: Tirloni E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9964947 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature