Abstract
This study aims to investigate the enterotoxin profiles and antibiotic susceptibility of Bacillus cereus isolated from garlic chives and environmental samples. A total of 103 B. cereus isolates were used to identify enterotoxin genes, including hblA, hblC, hblD, nheA, nheB, and nheC. The hemolysin BL enterotoxin complex (hblACD) was detected in 38 isolates (36.9%), and the non-hemolytic enterotoxin complex (nheABC) was detected in 8 (7.8%) isolates. Forty-five isolates (43.7%) had hblACD and nheABC genes. B. cereus was resistant to β-lactam antibiotics and susceptible to non-β-lactam antibiotics. However, some B. cereus strains showed intermediate resistance to β-lactam and non-β-lactam antibiotics. B. cereus isolated from garlic chives showed intermediate resistance to cefotaxime (7.7%), rifampin (15.4%), clindamycin (30.8%), erythromycin (7.7%), and tetracycline (7.7%). B. cereus isolates from the agricultural environment were moderately resistant to cefotaxime (18.9%), rifampin (15.6%), clindamycin (12.2%), erythromycin (4.4%), and tetracycline (5.6%). Moreover, B. cereus isolates from garlic chives and cultivation environments could change their antibiotic resistance profile from susceptible to intermediate-resistant to rifampin, clindamycin, erythromycin, and tetracycline and exhibit multidrug resistance. These results indicate that continuous monitoring of B. cereus contamination in the produce and agricultural environment might be needed to ensure the safety of consuming fresh vegetables.