EVALUATION OF THE BIOFILM FORMATION CAPACITY BY Staphylococcus spp. ISOLATED FROM WORKERS OF A PILOT KITCHEN

Pilot kitchens are responsible for preparing and distributing meals at all public schools. However, these foods are subject to bacterial contamination through hygiene failure of food handlers. The bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus are one of the most frequent pathogens found in this environment, since these employees can facilitate the dissemination of these bacteria to foods and surfaces becoming potential sources for the formation of biofilms, being the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), encoded by operon ica, the main component of the staphylococcal biofilm. This study aimed to perform a microbiological evaluation of the employees of a pilot kitchen in order to characterize the presence of Staphylococcus spp. and to determine phenotypically and genotypically the biofilm production of these samples. Samples were collected from the nails and nostrils of 16 professionals from a pilot kitchen of a municipality of Oeste Paulista. Samples were isolated and identified by GRAM staining, catalase, coagulase and PCR for determination of S. aureus (Sa442gene). The bacteria were submitted to adhesion tests and borosilicate tubes and Congo red agar (CRA) to verify the phenotypic biofilm production and the icaA and icaD genes were screened by PCR for genotype. Sensitivity, specificity and Kappa (k) tests were performed between the methods. Of the 32 samples collected, 28 confirmed to be Staphylococcus, 84.4% were S. aureus and 4 were discarded from the study. Of the 28 samples studied, 100% were positive for icaA and 92.85% for icaD. The biofilm production was found in all samples, 96.4% were positive for CRA and 92.9% for the adhesion test. Comparing the methods used, referencing the PCR, the method that best correlated with the ica gene search was CRA, presenting better sensitivity and specificity. There was no agreement between the techniques (k<0). The data indicate that all professionals working in the pilot kitchen are colonized by S. aureus with a biofilm production capacity, which makes it difficult to remove these bacteria from the environment and to assist in the dissemination of pathogenic bacteria that can contaminate the food, emphasizing the importance of biosafety standards at these locations.