Prevalence of Virulence Genes Associated with Diarrheagenic Pathotypes of Escherichia coli

This study was conducted to characterize virulence genes of Escherichia coli isolates from water, sediment, fish, and crab in Aby Lagoon. Serogrouping was performed by EPEC antisera in 113 E. coli strains. The presence of diarrhea-associated genes (eae, stx, AggR, elt, and est) was assessed by multiplex PCR using specific primers. Based on the multiplex PCR, sixty-two isolates (42 from water, 19 from sediment, and 1 from crab) were positive for virulence genes, including 34 positive for elt (ETEC), 46 positive for est (ETEC), 24 positive for both elt and est, 6 positive for stx (EHEC), 1 positive for both stx + est, and 1 positive for both stx + elt. Genes eae (EPEC) and AggR (EAEC) were not detected. Nine serogroups (O114, O127, O55, O111, O86, O119, O126, O128, and O142) were identified. This study revealed the presence of diarrheagenic and nondiarrheagenic E. coli and potential public health risks if fishery products are not appropriately cooked

Microbiological and physico-chemical characterisation of well water in the town of Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire

Water is essential to the life of every living organism. The water used by the consumer must be safe for the preservation of his health. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of well water used in households in the city of Korhogo. To do this, water samples were taken from the wells of different households. Parameters such as pH, temperature, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids were measured at the sampling sites. Nitrates and ammonium were determined by spectrophotometric methods using sodium salicylate and indophenol blue, respectively. The membrane filtration technique has been used for the enumeration of total coliforms, Escherichia coli, fecal enterococci, sulfite-reducing anaerobic bacteria, yeasts and moulds. The agar incorporation method was used for the enumeration of mesophilic aerobic germs. The non-conformity relative to pH was 73%. All wells were contaminated with nitrates and ammonium. Non-compliance rates of 80% and 53% were obtained for nitrates and ammonium respectively. Non-compliance with mesophilic aerobic germs, total coliforms, E. coli and fecal enterococci was 100% for each indicator. No spore of sulphite-reducing clostridia has been identified. Contamination rates of 80% (mould) and 67% (yeast) were recorded. The moulds isolated from the various water samples belong to the genus Aspergillus. The quality of well water in households is not suitable for human consumption. These waters require treatment or household residents must switch to other safe sources of drinking water

Évaluation des pratiques post récolte favorables à la contamination de l’arachide par les mycotoxines dans trois régions de Côte d’Ivoire

Objectif: Les techniques post récoltes jouent un rôle déterminant dans la contamination de l’arachide par les aflatoxines. Cette étude a pour objectif de contribuer à réduire la contamination de l’arachide par les aflatoxines en Côte d’Ivoire par l’identification des pratiques post récoltes à risque.Méthodologie et résultats: Un questionnaire a permis de recueillir les renseignements sur lesdites pratiques dans trois régions : nord, centre et ouest. Le séchage de l’arachide se fait au soleil quel que soit la localité et dure en moyenne 4 à 14 jours. Les arachides sont séchées et conservées en coques dans le nord. Dans les zones de centre et ouest, les gousses sont soit séchées puis décortiquées, soit décortiqués avant séchage. Le stockage des graines ou des gousses se fait dans des sacs en polyéthylène dans les maisons (86%) ou en vrac dans des greniers (14%). La récolte peut être conservée jusqu’à 9 mois avant consommation ou vente. 58,1% des productrices ont des pertes dues à l’effet des moisissures. La contamination fongique de l’arachide s’opère dans 55,8 % des cas, durant le séchage et le stockage, et dans 34,9 % des cas au cours de l’apparitiondes fleurs au champ.Conclusion et application des résultats: Les étapes de séchage et de stockage représentent un risque de contamination par les aflatoxines. Une maitrise des techniques post récolte permettrait de réduire la contamination par les aflatoxines. Il ressort de cette étude qu'une formation des productrices aux bonnes pratiques de production réduirait la contamination parcours aflatoxines.Mots clés: post-récolte, séchage, conservation, arachide, aflatoxinesEnglish Title: Evaluation of post-harvest practices favorable to the contamination of peanut by mycotoxins in three regions of Côte d'IvoireEnglish AbstractObjective: Post harvest techniques take a decisive role in peanuts by aflatoxins contamination. The aim of this study is to help to reduce aflatoxin contamination of groundnuts in Côte d'Ivoire by identifying post-harvest practices at risk.Methodology and results: A survey permit to collect information on post-harvest practices in three regions: north, center and west. Peanuts are dried at sun whatever the locality and lasts on average 4 to 14 days. Peanuts are dried and kept in pods in the north. In the central and western areas, pods are either dried and then shelled, or shelled before drying. The storage of seeds or pods is done in polythene bags in homes (86%) or bulk in granaries (14%). Peanuts can be kept until 9 months before consumption or sale. 58.1% of producers have losses due to effect of molds. Fungal contamination of peanuts occurs in 55.8% of cases, during drying and storage, and in 34.9% of cases during flowering in the field.Conclusion and application of results: Drying and storage stages represent a risk of contamination by aflatoxins. Mastering post-harvest techniques would reduce aflatoxin contamination. This study shows that training producers in good production practices would reduce aflatoxin contamination.Keywords: post-harvest, drying, storage, peanut, aflatoxin

Cinetique De Fermentation De Trois Methodes De Production De Ferments De Racines De Manioc

Fermentation plays an important role in the production of several foods. In Côte.d'ivoire, the preparation of several traditional mets of the manioc requires the use of the traditional leavens. Thus, the objective of this study is to compare the evolution of some biochemical and microbiological parameters during the preparation of three types of experimental leavens starting from the roots of varieties bitter and soft of manioc. On the whole, 36 samples of roots of manioc whose 18 of the bitter variety (IAC) and 18 of the soft variety (Bonoua) were the subject of this study. The variety of manioc and the method of acquisition the leavens influence the evolution of the parameters such as the pH, sugars, the growth of the micro-organisms whatever the type of leaven. The leavens of boiled manioc are richer in total sugars while the leavens of believed manioc are it for reducing sugars

Assessing the Microbiological Level and the Incidence of Water-soaking on the Proximate Composition of two Cultivars of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) Grains Grown in Côte d’Ivoire

Aims: This study was undertaken to assess the influence of seed treatment (soaking in water) on nutritional and microbiological composition of two cowpea cultivars. Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Food Biochemistry and Tropical Products Technology, and the laboratory of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology, University of Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, between October 2010 and December 2011. Study Design: Method based on AOAC tests and AFNOR for microbiological analysis. A two-way analysis of variance and t-test were used. Methodology: The proximate composition of soaked and non soaked cowpea grains was determined and microbiological (bacteriological and mycological) analysis of these grains was also performed. Results: The major components were 28% and 26.25% protein, 48.35% and 47.99% carbohydrate, 41.66% and 40.05% starch for the RC (red cultivar) and WC (white cultivar) respectively. Lipids are less represented in the 2 cultivars (2.5%). There were significant reductions in the contents of the major components as a result of the treatment. Plain water soaking brought about a significant decrease in the proximate composition causing a mean reduction of 3.14% and 10.02% protein, 28.23% and 29.30% carbohydrate, 29.47% and 28.94% starch, 18.80% and 22.02 % energy for the RC and WC respectively. The mean decrease for mineral was 23.13% and 47.66% iron, 2.32% and 8.15% calcium, 9.30% and 2.10% phosphorus for the RC and WC respectively. In general the highest reduction was observed in the WC variety. Mean count (Log10 cfu/g) of total aerobic miroflora, coliforms, mould and yeast were 6.29 and 6.43; 2.04 and 2.58; 4.41 and 4.78 for the RC and WC respectively. Five genera of mould were isolated: Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillium, Botrytis and Geotrichum. The predominant fungi belonged to Aspergillus genus. Conclusion: The cultivar types of cowpea and the preparation methods could affect the nutrient availability of this product. Cold water soaking has a great influence on the properties of cowpea grains

Microbiological Quality of Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Sold in the Markets of Korhogo (Côte d’Ivoire)

Aims: The present work is part of a sanitary quality control of market garden products in Korhogo. The objective of this study was to know the microbiological quality of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) sold on the markets of the city of Korhogo. Place and Duration of Study: The analyses were carried out at the microbiology laboratory of Peleforo Gon Coulibaly University during the months of October, November and December 2020. Methodology: Germs such as molds, yeasts, mesophilic aerobic germs, total coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Clostridium were tested and enumerated on 40 tomato samples from the markets of Haoussabougou, Koko, Sinistré and the big market according to conventional microbiology methods. Results: The average loads of molds and yeasts range from 1.2x104 to 6x105 CFU/g. The average loads of mesophilic aerobic germs vary from 2.3x104 to 2.3x105 CFU/g. The highest loads recorded for Staphylococcus aureus and total coliforms were 3.1x104 CFU/g and 1.5x104 CFU/g respectively. Escherichia coli (4x101 CFU/g) was isolated only from tomatoes collected in Haoussabougou. As for the Clostridium genus, it was not detected on all the tomatoes analyzed. Conclusion: In general, the microbial loads of the analyzed samples are higher than the accepted norm. Thus, the tomatoes sold on the markets of the city of Korhogo have an unsatisfactory microbiological quality. It is advisable to clean, disinfect and rinse these tomatoes carefully with drinking water before consuming them raw

Fungal Variation during Peanut Paste Storage

Peanut paste produced in multipurpose mills is very often the site of choice for fungal contaminants that pose a major risk to consumers. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of fungal contamination of peanut paste produced according to different moulding processes during storage. Thirty samples of peanut paste were produced from 60 kg of peanut pods according to three types of moulding (domestic moulding, artisanal moulding, and hygienic moulding) and then preserved for three months. These thirty samples were subjected to microbiological analysis using the conventional mould count method. The moisture content of the various peanut pastes was determined according to the AOAC method. Fungi were identified by using taxonomic schemes based on microscopic observation and culture appearance. Mould loads ranged from 0 to 6.4.102 cfu/g; 91 to 9.6.102 cfu/g; and 0 to 4.6.102 cfu/g, respectively, for domestic, artisanal, and hygienic mouldings during conservation. Moisture content increases during the conservation of peanut paste. It increases from 1.23 to 3.17% for domestic moulding, 1.30 to 3.20% for artisanal moulding, and 1.30 to 2.94% for hygienic moulding. Four fungal genera, namely, Aspergillus, Mucor, Absidia, and Penicillium and three species of Aspergillus including A. flavus, A. fumigatus and A. niger have been identified. The peanut paste produced from domestic and hygienic moulding is less contaminated during storage than that obtained in the artisanal way

ASSESSMENT OF THE RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION DURING THE MARKETING OF PEANUTS IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE

This study was conducted to assess the different risk factors related to practices of sale of peanuts for better control of aflatoxin contamination and also to improve the safety of peanuts during marketing. The sales practices are similar regardless of the area surveyed. Of all the respondents in this survey, 61.7% were men as against 38.3% women and 70% of the respondents do not have any formal education. The marketing of peanut seeds is generally an activity done by men (100%) while that of peanut paste is assigned to women (100%). The unsold peanut paste is kept from 1 day to 3 months at room temperature until sale, mainly in market stalls used to sell it (42.4%) or in stores (39.4%). The losses are mainly due to fungi (37.9%) and insects (13.6%) followed by humidity and high temperature (4.5%). During sale of peanut paste, the site, the surroundings of sales points and the storage containers are potential fungi growth factors and eventual risk points for mycotoxin contamination. Proper handling and hygiene might reduce the aflatoxin contamination of peanut to ensure better sanitary quality of peanuts and protect consumer’s heath

Microbiological contamination of cooked meals in collective and commercial catering of public universities of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire

In Côte d'Ivoire, the absence of legislation in university catering increases the risk of collective food poisoning. The aim of this study was to assess the level of contamination of cooked meals in university catering in the city of Abidjan. To do this, 160 cooked meals samples were taken in the two public universities of Abidjan. The search of mesophilic aerobic germs; Enterobacteriaceae and of Staphylococcus aureus was carried out. The results showed that in general, the microbial loads of the cooked meals analyzed were higher than the criteria required by the regulations. 40.33% of the presumptive Staphylococcus aureus strains tested are confirmed. 20 species belonging to 14 genera of Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from the different cooked meals. The species most frequently isolated from cooked meals is Klebsiella pneumoniae (19.4%) followed by Klebsiella oxytoca (17%) and Serratia liquefaciens (14.5%). In general, efforts still need to be made to improve the level of hygiene in institutional catering and commercial catering. Constant monitoring of the application of hygienic rules must be instituted, in order to prevent the occurrence of food poisoning. The use of microbiologic results of cooked meals in the universities will provide an example for similar collective catering