3,6 However, this rate varies depending on each country’s per capita seafood consumption, food preparation processes, and handling practices. In 2004, Peru’s total fisheries production was 9.6 million tons, making it the second

largest producer of fish worldwide, after China. With a per capita consumption of 21.4 kg/year in the year 2001, Peru was the third largest per capita consumer of seafood in South America, after Guyana and French Guiana.7,8 Given the often-inadequate food safety measures in developing countries, seafood can represent an important source of food-borne pathogens. According to some studies carried out in the United States and Spain, bacteria belonging to the Vibrionaceae family Osimertinib ic50 (ie, Vibrio and Aeromonas spp.), are frequently isolated from uncooked

Epigenetic inhibitor fish.3,4,6,9 Other nonindigenous pathogenic bacteria (present due to contamination with human or animal feces), such as Escherichia coli, non-typhoidal Salmonella, Shigella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Plesiomonas spp., and Clostridium botulinum are also implicated in many seafood-related outbreaks.3,6,9,10 Since the ingestion of raw or undercooked food is a risk factor commonly associated with infection, the rate of seafood-related outbreaks tends to be higher in those countries where seafood is consumed raw or only slightly cooked. In comparison to developed countries, where shellfish accounts for almost all cases of seafood-related outbreaks, the ingestion of uncooked fish is responsible for most of the acute diarrheal episodes related to the intake of seafood in developing countries.3 In Peru, consumer preferences are usually for fresh fish, which is often eaten raw. One of the most popular meals in Peru is cebiche, a dish made of fresh raw fish that is prepared with lime juice and seasoned with onions, yellow pepper, sweet

potatoes, corn, garlic, and cilantro. As cebiche is not exposed to a typical cooking process, many pathogens that would otherwise be inactivated by heat may remain viable after preparation. It is believed that the acid of limes used in the preparation of cebiche eliminates any microbial contamination. Exposure to the acidic lime juice changes the color and texture of selleck chemical the fish, making it appear slightly “cooked.” It is widely thought that exposing bacteria to acid stress conditions is enough to inactivate or kill them. Bacterial requirements for survival and growth include an external pH value that is between 4 and 8. Some pathogens, such as E. coli and Salmonella, have mechanisms that allow them to grow under low pH conditions. These mechanisms include acid shock protein synthesis, the development of maximal acid tolerance through the induction of pH homeostasis, and protein repair systems.