Molecular identification of bacteria isolated from Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) from the State of Hidalgo, Mexico. A potential source of foodborne diseases

Tilapia production is considered an alternative to increasing the income of the rural population, and in recent years has surpassed traditional agricultural and livestock activities, playing a fundamental role in food production at the national and global level. The State of Hidalgo has significant aquaculture production; however, there are no previous records related to the microorganisms present. Therefore, this study aimed to identify bacteria that cause foodborne diseases or are associated with human diseases, present in Tilapia in the State of Hidalgo. Sixty-nine isolates were obtained from a collection recovered from a sampling previously conducted in different municipalities of Hidalgo and from different Tilapia organs. Once the isolates were activated, DNA extraction was obtained and molecular identification was performed using the rpoD or 16S rRNA genes, and later sequenced by the Sanger method. Twelve genera and 19 species were identified: Aeromonas (40.6%), Shewanella (14.5%), Acinetobacter (8.7%), Citrobacter, Comamonas, Plesiomonas, Pseudomonas, and Vibrio (5.8%), Kosakonia (2.9%) and Exiguobacterium, Glutamicibacter and Pantoea (1.4%). In this study, various isolates of health importance were identified, because 66.7% of the bacteria found have been associated with foodborne diseases, which can mainly affect immunosuppressed or immunocompetent individuals. This study reveals the presence of pathogens in a highly consumed product; therefore, it is necessary to implement strategies to reduce the presence of these pathogens of public health importance.