The effectiveness of bacterial contamination of beetles during their transfer to wheat bran

¹ Center of Shared Scientific Equipment «Persistence of microorganisms», Institute for Cellular and Intracellular Symbiosis, Orenburg Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the RAS, Orenburg, Russia
² Municipal Educational Autonomous Institution (MEAI) Lyceum № 1, Orenburg, Russia

^* Corresponding author: zhos-rus@mail.ru

Abstract

The study of the mechanisms of transfer of bacteria during contamination of insect surfaces during food invasion is of current interest. Additionally, the increasing antibiotic resistance of clinical bacterial strains over the past decade has highlighted the importance of understanding the mechanisms of bacterial circulation among insects, especially antibiotic-resistant strains. Our modeling study demonstrates that the transfer of the Escherichia coli Rif (+) marker strain on the surface and inside the intestine of adult beetles Tenebrio molitor contributes to bacterial contamination of wheat bran. The isolation of E. coli Rif (+) in high titers from the beetle’s surface and feces continued for three days. The ability of beetles to carry allochthonous bacteria on their surface and inside their intestines can contribute to contamination of grains, flour, and wheat bran with antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. In the future, the use of the Escherichia coli Rif (+) strain may help to better understand the mechanisms of how insects transfer antibiotic-resistant bacteria from one place to another during their invasion of food sources.