Abstract
The Streptococcus bovis/Streptococcus equinus complex (SBSEC) and possibly Streptococcus infantarius subsp. infantarius (Sii) are associated with human and animal diseases. Sii predominate in spontaneously fermented milk products with unknown public health effects. Sii/SBSEC prevalence data from West Africa in correlation with milk transformation practices are limited. Northern Côte d’Ivoire served as study area due to its importance in milk production and consumption and to link a wider Sudano-Sahelian pastoral zone of cross-border trade. We aimed to describe the cow milk value chain and determine Sii/SBSEC prevalence with a cross-sectional study. Dairy production practices were described as non-compliant with basic hygiene standards. The system is influenced by secular sociocultural practices and environmental conditions affecting product properties. Phenotypic and molecular analyses identified SBSEC in 27/43 (62.8%) fermented and 26/67 (38.8%) unfermented milk samples. Stratified by collection stage, fermented milk at producer and vendor levels featured highest SBSEC prevalence of 71.4% and 63.6%, respectively. Sii with 62.8% and 38.8% as well as Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. macedonicus with 7.0% and 7.5% were the predominant SBSEC species identified among fermented and unfermented milk samples, respectively. The population structure of Sii/SBSEC isolates seems to reflect evolving novel dairy-adapted, non-adapted and potentially pathogenic lineages. Northern Côte d’Ivoire was confirmed as area with high Sii presence in dairy products. The observed production practices and the high diversity of Sii/SBSEC supports in-depth investigations on Sii ecology niche, product safety and related technology in the dairy value chain potentially affecting large population groups across sub-Saharan Africa.
Highlights
Cow milk plays an important role in pastoralists and urban consumers’ diets across the African continent [1]
This study described the milk production system, including the milk supply chain and fermented dairy products (FDP) production in correlation with the prevalence of subsp. infantarius (Sii)/Streptococcus bovis/Streptococcus equinus complex (SBSEC) bacteria for sub-Saharan pastoral areas on the example of Korhogo, Northern Cote d’Ivoire
This study provided the first dairy production system assessment and Sii/SBSEC prevalence determination for Northern Cote d’Ivoire, the main dairy producing area of Cote d’Ivoire
Summary
Cow milk plays an important role in pastoralists and urban consumers’ diets across the African continent [1]. Milk and livestock products contribute up to 85% and 63% to their diets and household incomes, respectively [2]. Homemade processing renders milk perishable and conducive to the spread of pathogenic microorganisms and their toxic metabolites [3,4,5]. Milk is traditionally fermented to protect it from spoilage, to inhibit outgrowth of pathogenic microorganisms, to prolong shelf life, and to yield popular and regionally-specific fermented dairy products (FDP) in many African countries [1, 6]. Unlike human Sii, African Sii dairy variants present an adapted lactose metabolism similar to that of Streptococcus thermophilus based on lacS and lacZ. No explicit virulence factors are described neither for human or food-derived Sii [8, 15,16,17]
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