The Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Medicine | 2019
Detection of Aeromonas hydrophila in Raw Milk and Soft Cheese in Baghdad City
Abstract
The frequency and distribution patterns of Aeromonas hydrophila in cow’s raw milk and soft cheese were investigated in Abu-Ghraib, Al-Fudhaliyah and Al-Sadrya regions in Baghdad. A total of 120 pooled samples were collected during February until June 2019, in which 60 samples of raw milk pooled from milk containers, 20 from each region (four samples collected monthly per region) and 60 samples of fresh soft cheese made from raw unpasteurized milk were collected from different supermarkets in Baghdad as same as the proportion above. Modified procedures for the isolation and identification were dependent, in which modified tryptone soya yeast extract sheep blood agar supplemented with ampicillin were used. Gram’s stain and oxidase reaction aided in the bacterial isolation. Modified Congo red assay was used to detect biofilm, and Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used for determining the sensitivity of isolates to ampicillin (AM 10 μg), cephalexin (CLX, 30 μg), azithromycin (AZM, 15 μg) and vancomycin (VA 30 μg). The results confirmed the recovery of 11 isolates (9.16%) from 120 pooled samples, in which four isolates (3.33%) were obtained from raw milk samples; Two (1.66 %) from Abu-Ghraib and one (0.83 %) from different regions. Seven isolates (5.83 %) were detected from fresh soft cheese samples, in which three (2.5 %) were from Abu-Ghraib and two (1.66%) were from other regions. All of the isolates were Gram-negative rod-shaped, oxidase positive and biofilm producers. Four isolates (36.36%) were resistant to selected antibiotics, in which two (18.18%) from Abu-Ghraib: One (9.09 %) from raw milk and soft cheese; and one (9.09 %) in the other regions in fresh soft cheese only. In conclusion, milk and cheese production in AbuGhraib, Al-Fudhaliyah and Al-Sadrya regions in Baghdad are encountered by the problems of bacterial contamination and presence of multidrug resist strain of A. hydrophila ,which is considered as a risk to public health, may be due both insufficient and misuse treatment with antibiotics or somewhat due to bad quality and/or poor hygiene of processing involved in milk production. Thus, it is recommended to monitor these products for better hygienic status.