ENTEROTOXIN AND SLIME GENE DETECTION IN Staphylococcus COAGULASE NEGATIVE ISOLATED FROM GROUND BEEF

Among the meat products, ground beef presents a greater risk of contamination, due to excessive manipulation and greater surface contact.  Staphylococcus indicates inadequate hygienic-sanitary conditions of food. Coagulase-negative  Staphylococci (CoNS) cover most of the existing staphylococci species and among the virulence factors presented by this group, biofilm production and staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) are the most prominent. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of enterotoxin and biofilm genes in coagulase-negative  Staphylococci  isolates obtained from ground beef samples. Twenty four strains of CoNS isolated from fresh bovine meat, phenotypically characterized as biofilm producers, were used. The samples were collected in twenty four commercial establishments (butchers and supermarkets) in Umuarama City from Parana State, Brazil. The CoNS count found was between 1.0 x 10³ and 3.8 x 10 5 CFU/g of food. All 24 samples showed genes belonging to the  ica operon , 21 (87.50%) carrying the  ica A,  ica C and  ica D genes and 3 (12.50%) of the  ica A and  ica D genes. 95.83% (23/24) of the strains were carriers of the  sea  enterotoxin gene, being 9 (37.5%) only  sea , one (4.2%)  sea  and  seb , 7 (29.1%)  sea  and  see  and 6 (25.0%) sea ,  seb  and  see . One (4.2%) strain did not show any of the enterotoxin genes. The detection of enterotoxin and biofilm genes in CoNS demonstrate the pathogenic potential of this microorganism. The lack of epidemiological data neglects the actual fault of the CoNS in foodborne diseases.