Microbiological evaluation of minimally processed and marketed fish in popular market of the city of Tepic Nayarit, Mexico Sanitary quality of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Introduction Foodborne Diseases (FD) are considered a syndrome caused by the ingestion of contaminated food or water with etiological agents in amounts that affect the health of the consumer. These diseases are characterized by the appearance of a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms, ranging from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever; and in some cases severe complications, such as sepsis, meningitis, abortions, Reiter's syndrome, Guillan Barre syndrome or death (51). Foodborne diseases are established as a major challenge in public health worldwide, due to their high morbidity and mortality. These diseases have, as main population target, groups affecting children, pregnant women and the elderly, leading to economic losses, high costs in health services, implementation and monitoring of food safety policies (2,42,47). Approximately 250 agents causing foodborne diseases have been described, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, prions, toxins, chemicals and metals (27,42). The most frequent FD are those of biological origin, having mainly as causative agents to bacteria: Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Shigella spp., Vibrio spp., Yersinia spp., Escherichia coli, S. aureus, Aeromonas hydrofila, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes, among others (27,47,51). In recent years, the increase in these diseases has as contributing factors the commercial globalization of food, urbanization, changes in the eating habits of societ