ENTEROBACTER SAKAZAKII

Enterobacter sakazakii

Enterobacter sakazakii

Introduction

Enterobacter sakazakii is a bacterium of the Enterobacteriaceae family, known as pathogenic for a relatively short time. This is an organism with a clear action pollutant that primarily affects premature infants and, in general, infants under 6 months of age who receive artificial feeding. Improper sterilization of bottles, re contamination by poor hygiene or contamination of milk are the major risk factors. Thus, appropriate hygienic practices when preparing the product are essential to prevent growth of the pathogen.

Establishment and transmission of Enterobacter Sakazakii

Enterobacter sakazakii usually grow in the bottles, so that mostly affects infants, who often suffer from intestinal infection with complications of the nervous type. Although the reservoir of infection is not well understood, it is likely that food is not the only ones involved in the occurrence, considering that it is enterobacteria.

For this reason other factors should be considered such as general hygiene, cleaning and refrigeration of bottles and other food after preparation. As in most of the micro organisms in group, preventing a proper application goes through hygienic measures. This coupled with the controls currently carried out by producers, ensuring food security of infants (Dobbing, 1988).

Babies affected by an outbreak associated with this organism remain as carriers for a period of time between 7-8 weeks, during which large amounts of feces germ removed without ongoing symptoms, which is a route of contamination important cross. However, even if this is feasible, the general population and infants older than 6 months are little exposed to the pathogen, hence the risk is located in very specific periods.

Enterobacter sakazakii has been isolated from sporadic cases and outbreaks related to consumption based formula milk powder for infants. Although it has caused disease in all age groups, is now well recognized that neonates and infants, are a particular risk group, in the same particular relevance are considered immune compromised infants and neonates. E. sakazakii have been associated with a variety of severe diseases, mainly in infants (Meningitis, bacteremia and necrotizing enterocolitis). This was associated first with neonatal death 1958. Since then other cases have been reported in neonatal intensive care units in various parts the world, including countries such as Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Greece, France, Canada and the United States. E. sakazakii appear to have a predisposition to infect the central nervous system causing sepsis generalized meningitis, cerebritis and necrotizing enterocolitis (WHO, 2003).

The formula milk powder, 1 level, are the foods most commonly implicated in the emergence of this organism, food, despite having a low microbial load, as they are not sterile products is obtained from heating processes but not very high temperatures. To avoid this and other dangers, mono-dose packaging of liquid milk and reconstituted, sold after a sterilization process would be an excellent choice for those populations of children susceptible to infection.

In the case of milk powder, the current detection levels allow these products reach the market free of this microorganism, but not so in the home environment. We note that on the surfaces of the kitchen, one ...