COAGULASE POSITIVE ENTEROTOXIGENIC STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS COUNT IN PARAGUAY SEMI-HARD CHEESE

Background: One of the foodborne diseases of high incidence in the Latin American region is Staphylococcal intoxication, due to food contaminated with enterotoxins produced mainly by Staphylococcus aureus. The aim of this study was to enumerate, isolate and characterize S. aureus enterotoxigenic in Paraguay cheeses obtained at markets in Paraguayan cities. Methods: Three hundred eighty-two cheese samples were analyzed according to ISO 6888-1. Biochemical test, enterotoxin production ability and genotype characterization by PCR multiplex were performed to isolate. Results: Eight point thirty-seven percent of samples contained typical colonies of coagulase-positive S. aureus. Fourteen strains had the gene encoding enterotoxin A. Conclusion: The presence of coagulase-positive S. aureus in the cheese samples revealed a latent state of staphylococcal food poisoning outbreaks in Paraguay. Type A enterotoxigenic S. aureus is the most frequent isolation in this type of products, and multiplex PCR method is an effective and fast identification technique.