Bacteriology and Hygiene in the production of milk and dairy products

The Department is in charge of the identification of bacteria isolated from animals, food, humans and the environment by means of traditional methods (biochemical, enzymatic, serological, phagic) and molecular methods; the assessment of the quality of milk by determination of its chemical-physical and hygienic-sanitary parameters; and the research of bacterial agents responsible for mastitis outbreaks .

The Department carries out its work within the the Regional and National Reference Centres and Laboratories of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, through the molecular identification of the Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides cluster, and the identification and molecular characterisation of the virulence factors of zoonotic agents such as Brucella, Mycobacteria, Campylobacter, Salmonella and Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) by methods such as PCR, PFGE, RFLP, S-AFLP, microarray etc.

The Department is also engaged in the study of the resistances of bacteria to antimicrobial drugs, both by traditional methods and by the application of molecular techniques, hybridisation and sequencing of resistance genes.

Since 2006 the Department of Bacteriology and Hygiene in the production of milk and dairy products has been responsible for the performance at national level of bacteriological tests on veterinary drugs, to evaluate their compliance to the legislation in force.

Other activities are:

• preparing and conducting interlaboratory tests for Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes, Brucella spp. and thermotolerant Campylobacters;
• technical support for the activities of the  Regional Mycological Centre;
• participation in numerous research projects funded by the Italian Ministry of Health in the spheres of Food Safety and Animal Health.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Enterobacteria operates within the above mentioned Department.

Head Department: Dr. Elisabetta Di Giannatale