TITLE:
Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase Klebsiella pneumoniae and Fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. Strains from Market Garden Products and Their Watering Water in Benin (West Africa)
AUTHORS:
Wassiyath Moussé, Pacôme A. Noumavo, Nicodème W. Chabi, Haziz Sina, Majoie G. Tohoyessou, Théodora A. Ahoyo, Lamine Baba-Moussa
KEYWORDS:
Vegetables, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Fluorescent Pseudomonas spp., β-Lactamases, Food Safety
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.7 No.3,
March
21,
2016
ABSTRACT: Market garden products can carry several types of microorganisms, and their consumption is the
source of many cases of food poisoning. This work aimed to improve food safety in Benin. In characterizing
strains of K. pneumoniae and fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. at the biochemical and
molecular level, the target was to identify contaminated watering water and garden products sold
during Cotonou in both the dry and rainy seasons. A total of 164 samples of market garden products
and 22 samples of watering water were investigated. The results showed that 5.91% of market
garden products and watering water were contaminated by K. pneumoniae and 20.43% by
fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. During the dry season, cabbage was most contaminated by fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. (50%). Pool water was more contaminated with K. pneumoniae (17%). All
isolated strains were resistant to both amoxicillin and penicillin. All strains of K. pneumoniae and
fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. were not resistant to imipenem, and 22% of them produced penicillinase.
Among the 49 strains producing penicillinase isolated, 64.29% and 21.43% carried blaTEM and blaSHV respectively while 14.28% carried blaCTX-M genes. In light of the previously-developed
results and considering the importance of horticultural products in Beninese food habits, we must
improve national awareness of the risk for foodborne illness.