Polymerase chain reaction for detection of food borne bacterial pathogens in meat products in Jenin district-Palestine

Foodborne diseases occur worldwide, including those acquired through the consumption of contaminated meat. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and Escherichia coli pathotypes contamination in 40 samples of fresh (n=35) and frozen (n=5) beef, turkey and chicken using multiplex PCR. The meat samples were purchased from local markets in Jenin district, Palestine. Results of this research showed that the total mesophilic aerobic bacterial counts ranged between 4.3 log10 to 5.7 log10 cfu/g for frozen meat and 6.95 log10 to 7.78 log10 cfu/g for fresh meat. Results showed that the prevalence of S. aureus, Salmonella and E. coli was 30%, 25% and 95%, respectively. It was found that 75% of S. aureus strains were enterotoxigenic. Two samples of non S. aureus (FemA-) were toxigenic one of them was sec+ and the other was see+. These results showed that 89.5% (34/38) of meat samples contaminated with E. coli were belonged to enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), diffuse adherent E. coli (DAEC) pathotypes. A total of 21% (8/38) of meat samples contaminated with E. coli were coinfected with these pathotypes. It is recommended to establish a permanent program for surveillance of microbial contamination with all foodborne pathogens. This will generate and provide data with statistical and epidemiological value, and can be used for estimating the exposure of consumers to foodborne pathogens and evaluating the effects of control measures on the contamination of food.