Aeromonas caviae, and Aeromonas sobria isolated from raw milk and other milk products in northern Greece

A total of 138 raw cow's and 57 raw ewe's milk samples; 80 pasteurized cow' s milk samples; 39 Anthotyros cheese, 36 Manouri cheese, and 23 Feta cheese samples; and 15 rice pudding samples were examined for the presence and an y countable population of Aeromonas species. Twenty-two (15.9%) of the 138 cow's milk samples analyzed were contaminated with A. hydrophila. In 13 of these samples, populations of 3.0 x 10(2) to 5.0 x 10(3) CFU/ml were counte d in starch ampicillin agar (SAA). Eighteen cow's milk samples (13.0%) were contaminated with A. caviae, and in eight of these samples, populations of 2.0 x 10(2) to 3.0 x 10(3) CFU/ml were counted in SAA. Five cow's milk sam ples (3.6%) were contaminated with A. sobria, and in two of these samples, populations of 2.5 x 10(3) and 5.0 x 10(3) CFU/ml were counted in SAA. Elev en cow's milk samples (7.9%) were contaminated with other Aeromonas spp, no t classified. Eight (14.0%) of the 57 ewe's milk samples analyzed were cont aminated with A. hydrophila. In these samples, populations of 5.0 x 10(2) t o 5.0 x 10(3) CFU/ml were counted in SAA. Six ewe's milk samples (10.5%) we re contaminated with A. caviae, and populations of 1.5 x 10(2) to 1.0 x 10( 3) CFU/ml were counted in SAA. Two ewe's milk samples (3.5%) were contamina ted with A. sobria, and populations counted in SAA were 5.0 x 10(2) and 1.0 x 10(3) CFU/ml. Four samples (7.0%) were contaminated with other Aeromonas spp. not classified. A, hydrophila was recovered in 4 (10.2%) and 3 (8.3%) of the Anthotyros and Manouri cheese samples analyzed, respectively, but n o countable populations were noted in SAA. None of the pasteurized milk, Fe ta cheese, and rice pudding samples yielded Aeromonas spp. The results of t his work indicate that motile Aeromonas are common in raw milk in Greece. A lso, the presence of A. hydrophila in the whey cheeses Anthotyros and Manou ri indicates that postprocessing contaminations of these products with moti le Aeromonas may occur during production.