Molecular Detection of Virulent Salmonella Strains in Commercially Sold Meat in Jos Metropolis, North-Central Nigeria.

Abstract

Meat and different meat products are known to harbour myriads of pathogenic microbial organisms; and the deleterious effects of this microbial contamination is now a major cause for public health concern globally. 120 different meat products were randomly selected from thirteen different locations in the Jos Metropolis of North-Central Nigeria for this study. Microbiological culture and repeated sub-cultures yields 20/120 (16.7%) pure Salmonella isolates; with 17/20 (85%) of the pure Salmonella isolates testing positive for the Salmonella invA virulence gene after PCR amplification, and these were also biochemically confirmed to be pathogenic. 35/120 (29.2%) pure isolates of Escherichia coli was also obtained after repeated culture in EMB. The PCR product which was visualized in 1.5% w/v agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide is a DNA fragment of 280bp. This study shows that there is a high prevalence of pathogenic and virulent Salmonella species in the study area. This may not be unassociated with the poor hygiene practices among meat handlers in the study area. It is thus concluded that the traditional microbiological methods of culture and biochemical testing are very effective in detecting pathogenic Salmonella strains. However, the use of molecular methods of detection remains the most sensitive and the most specific in the detection of both pathogenic and virulent Salmonella strains.