Molecular Characterization of in the Food Chain of the Republic of Kosovo from 2016 to 2022

Overview

Journal Foods

Specialty Biotechnology

Date 2024 Sep 28

PMID 39335812

Authors

Besart Jashari

Karine Capitaine

Bledar Bisha

Beatrix Stessl

Katerina Blagoevska

Armend Cana

Dean Jankuloski

Benjamin Felix

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The present study describes the genetic characterization of strains found in the Republic of Kosovo's food chain. From 2016 to 2022, 995 samples were collected. Overall, 648 samples were from ready-to-eat (RTE) food products, 281 from food products consumed cooked (FPCC), 60 from raw materials, and 6 from environmental samples. Overall, 11.76% (117 out of 995) of the samples were contaminated by , comprising 6.33% (41 out of 648) from RTE products, 14.95% (42 out of 281) from FPCC, 55.00% (33 out of 60) from raw materials, and 16.66% (1 out of 6) from environmental samples. All isolates were subjected to molecular serotyping and clonal complex (CC) identification by using real-time PCR, as well as multilocus sequence typing. All isolates were grouped into four molecular serotypes, IIa (34.19%), IIb (3.48%), IIc (32.48%), and IVb (29.91%), as well as Lineage I (33.33%) and Lineage II (66.66%). In total, 14 CCs were identified from 41 RTE isolates; however, CC29 (7), CC2 (6), and CC6 (6) were the most dominant. By contrast, CC9 was by far the most represented CC in both FPCC (21) and RM (14). Moreover, 30 isolates expressed CC1, CC2, CC4, or CC6, which are particularly associated with severe human infections.

Citing Articles

Multilocus Sequence Typing and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Isolated from Foods Surveyed in Kosovo.

Jashari B, Stessl B, Felix B, Cana A, Bisha B, Jankuloski D Microorganisms. 2025; 12(12.

PMID: 39770647 PMC: 11677359. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12122441.

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