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Volume 23, Number 12—December 2017
CME ACTIVITY - Research

Group B Streptococcus Infections Caused by Improper Sourcing and Handling of Fish for Raw Consumption, Singapore, 2015–2016

Man L. Chau1, Swaine L. Chen1, Min Yap, Sri H.P. Hartantyo, Paul K.T. Chiew, Charlene J. Fernandez, Wai K. Wong, Rockey K. Fong, Wei L. Tan, Brian Z.Y. Tan, Youming Ng, Kyaw T. Aung, Kurosh S. Mehershahi, Christopher Goh, Joanne S.L. Kang, Timothy Barkham, Adeline O.K. Leong, Ramona A. Gutiérrez, and Lee C. NgComments to Author 
Author affiliations: National Environment Agency, Singapore (M.L. Chau, M. Yap, S.H.P. Hartantyo, Y. Ng, K.T. Aung, C. Goh, J.S.L. Kang, A.O.K. Leong, R.A. Gutiérrez, L.C. Ng); Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore (S.L. Chen); National University of Singapore, Singapore (S.L. Chen, K.S. Mehershahi); Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore, Singapore (P.K.T. Chiew, C.J. Fernandez, W.K. Wong, R.K. Fong, W.L. Tan, B.Z.Y. Tan); Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (P.K.T. Chiew, L.C. Ng); Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore (T. Barkham)

Main Article

Table

Positivity rates for GBS and other foodborne bacteria in fish samples, Singapore, 2015–2016*

Characteristic
 Targeted bacteria, no. positive samples/no. tested (%)
All GBS
 GBS serotype III
 GBS serotype III ST283
 Aeromonas spp.†
 E. coli
 S. aureus
 V. c.
 V. p.
 L. m.
 Salmonella spp.
Detection method
 PCR
 PCR
 Culture, PCR
 Culture
 Culture
 Culture
 Culture
 Culture
 Culture
 Culture
Ports
Freshwater fish, n = 586
 27/586 (4.6)
 12/586 (2.0)
 6/586 (1.0)
 NT
 NT
 NT
 NT
 NT
 NT
 NT
Fresh produce markets‡
Freshwater fish, n = 39 30/39 (76.9)a 14/39 (35.9)b 11/39 (28.2) 16/39 (41.0) 32/39 (82.0)c 11/39 (28.2) 6/39 (15.4) 2/39 (5.1) 0/39 0/39
Saltwater fish, n = 23
 5/23 (21.7)a
 2/23 (8.7)b
 0/23
 14/23 (60.9)
 8/23 (34.8)c
 6/23 (26.1)
 2/23 (8.7)
 2/23 (8.7)
 0/23
 0/23
Sashimi suppliers§
Saltwater fish, n = 21
 0/21
 0/21
 0/21
 10/21 (47.6)
 1/21 (4.7)c
 0/21
 0/21
 0/21
 1/21 (4.7)
 0/21
Food stalls¶
RTE freshwater fish, n = 7 5/7 (71.4) 4/7 (57.1) 1/7 (14.3) NT 0/7 0/7 (0) 0/7 0/7 0/7 1/7 (14.3)
Freshwater fish for cooking, n = 18 8/18 (44.4) 4/18 (22.2) 0/18 NT 2/18 (11.1) 0/18 1/18 (5.6) 1/18 (5.6) 0/18 1/18 (5.6)
RTE saltwater fish, n = 21
 7/21 (33.3)d
 3/21 (14.3)e
 0/21
 NT
 0/21
 0/21
 1/21 (5.0)
 0/21
 0/21
 0/21
Restaurants, snack bars
RTE saltwater fish, n = 282 26/282 (9.2)d 2/282 (0.7)e 0/282 NT 0/282 0/282 1/282 (0.4) 0/282 5/282 (1.8) 0/282

*A sample was considered positive when a specific organism was detected in >1 subsamples (surface, muscle, or organs) of a fish sample. Superscript letters a–e indicate a significant difference (p<0.05) in positivity rates of targeted bacteria between fish types. E. coli, Escherichia coli; GBS, group B Streptococcus; L. m., Listeria monocytogenes; NT, not tested; RTE, ready to eat; S. aureus, Staphylococcus aureus; ST283, sequence type 283; V. c., Vibrio cholerae; V. p., V. parahaemolyticus.
†Aeromonas caviae, A. hydrophila, and A. sobria.
‡Fish stalls at ports and wet markets, and fresh produce sections of supermarkets, excluding sashimi and sushi counters of supermarkets.
§Companies that supplied sashimi-grade fish to restaurants and snack bars.
¶Within larger eating establishments that include hawker centers, coffee shops, and eating houses.

Main Article

1These authors contributed equally to this article.

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Page updated: November 15, 2017
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The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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