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Survival of an emerging foodborne pathogen: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) serotype III sequence type (ST) 283—under simulated partial cooking and gastric fluid conditions

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Abstract

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) was previously not known to be transmitted through food, but an outbreak investigation in Singapore in 2015 documented for the first time an association between GBS Type III Sequence Type 283 infection and consumption of raw fish dishes. As very little is known about the survival of GBS during heat treatment and the stomach transit, its survival under simulated conditions was studied, in comparison with that of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. The mean D-values of four GBS strains ranging from 0.72 to 0.88 min in neutral pH tryptone soy broth at 56.4 °C and 0.44–1.43 min at pH 2.35 at 37 °C in simulated gastric fluid, were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than those of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes. This study suggests possible factors other than acid or heat resistance of GBS to be instrumental to its pathogenicity.

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Acknowledgements

This study was jointly supported by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore in 2017 and by the Korea National University of Transportation in 2018. We would like to thank Associate Professor Ng Lee Ching and Dr Ramona Alikiiteaga Gutiérrez of the Environmental Health Institute of the National Environment Agency for the permission on the use of GBS strains and the critical reading of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food Science and Technology Programme, Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117543, Singapore

    Ye Htut Zwe & Zhu Hui Esther Goh

  2. Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, 11 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138667, Singapore

    Man Ling Chau & Kyaw Thu Aung

  3. School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore

    Kyaw Thu Aung

  4. Department of Food Science and Technology, Korea National University of Transportation, 61 Daehak-ro, Jeungpyeong-gun, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 27909, Republic of Korea

    Hyun-Gyun Yuk

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  1. Ye Htut Zwe
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  2. Zhu Hui Esther Goh
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  3. Man Ling Chau
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  4. Kyaw Thu Aung
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  5. Hyun-Gyun Yuk
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Correspondence to Hyun-Gyun Yuk.

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Zwe, Y.H., Goh, Z.H.E., Chau, M.L. et al. Survival of an emerging foodborne pathogen: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) serotype III sequence type (ST) 283—under simulated partial cooking and gastric fluid conditions. Food Sci Biotechnol 28, 939–944 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-018-0525-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-018-0525-8

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