Research Publications (Food Safety)

Foods of animal origin, such as poultry, eggs, and pork, are recognized sources of infection with Salmonella , but determining the proportion of foodborne infections resulting from different food sources has been challenging. In the current study, 141 Salmonella strains isolated from poultry products (n=1322) purchased over a period of one year from retail stores across Seattle, Washington, were subtyped by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) using restriction enzyme Xba I.

The number of farmers markets registered by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has seen a significant increase, jumping from 1,755 in 1994 to 8,771 in 2019. Microbial studies have found evidence that produce sold at farmers can yield higher microbial counts than their retail counterparts; however, no previous literature explored the efficacy of microbial (bacteria and virus) persistence on a variety of different farmers market fomites over a 2-month period.

Recall announcements by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Safety Inspection and Service (FSIS) are important communication tools. Nonetheless, previous studies found that effects of recalls on consumer demand are small. Social media analytics can provide insights into public awareness about food safety related incidents.

A simple and effective approach for HPLC-MS/MS based multi-mycotoxin analysis in human urine samples was developed by application of dried urine spots (DUS) as alternative on-site sampling strategy.

Abstract

Cold plasma (CP) treatment for enhancing functional and cooking properties has been investigated on less rice varieties and delays the industrial adoption of this technology.

The mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent nephrocarcinogen, mainly in male rats. The aim of this study was to determine the time course of gene expression (GeneChip® Rat Gene 2.0 ST Array, Affymetrix) in kidney samples from male and female F344 rats, treated daily (p.o) with 0.50 mg/kg b.w. (body weight) of OTA for 7 or 21 days, and evaluate if there were differences between both sexes.

A cross-sectional study was used to identify and assess prevalence and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles of Escherichia coli and other enterobacteria isolated from healthy wildlife and livestock cohabiting at a 10,000 acres game ranch near Lusaka, Zambia. Purposive sampling was used to select wildlife and livestock based on similarities in behavior, grazing habits and close interactions with humans.

The main objective of this study was to characterize using whole-genome sequencing analysis, a new variant of the qnrB gene (qnrB89) carried by a fluoroquinolone-susceptible bacterium isolated from mucus of farmed Salmo salar fingerling in Chile. Citrobacter gillenii FP75 was identified by using biochemical tests and 16S ribosomal gene analysis. Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the qnrB89 gene exhibited an identity to qnrB of 81.24% and 91.59%, respectively.

Antibiotic resistance (AR) phenotypes and acquired resistance determinants (ARDs) detected by in silico analysis of genome sequences were examined in 55 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolates representing diverse serotypes recovered from surfaces waters and sediments in a mixed use urban/agricultural landscape in British Columbia, Canada.

Maize is one of the most important crops worldwide and is the number one arable crop in Portugal. A transition from the conventional farming system to organic agriculture requires optimization of cultivars and management, the interaction of plant–soil rhizosphere microbiota being pivotal. The objectives of this study were to unravel the effect of population genotype and farming system on microbial communities in the rhizosphere of maize.

Recent laboratory evolution studies have shown that upon repetitive antibiotic treatments, bacterial populations will adapt and eventually became tolerant and resistant to the drug. Drug tolerance rapidly evolves upon frequent, intermittent antibiotic treatments, and such emerging drug tolerance seems to be specific to the treatment conditions, complicating clinical practice.

Antibiotic misuse is greatly contributing to an increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans and animals. Natural and synthetic alternative strategies are being investigated in human and veterinary medicine, but little attention is paid to the antimicrobial effects of edible lipids, such as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and monoglycerides. Among MCFAs, lauric acid (LA) and its monoglyceride derivative, glycerol monolaurate (GML), exhibit the strongest antimicrobial activity.

Of the seven currently known botulinum neurotoxin-producing species of Clostridium, C. parabotulinum, or C. botulinum Group I, is the species associated with the majority of human botulism cases worldwide. Phylogenetic analysis of these bacteria reveals a diverse species with multiple genomic clades. The neurotoxins they produce are also diverse, with over 20 subtypes currently represented.

The serotyping of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which is crucial to the surveillance and detection of outbreaks of vibriosis infection, has been widely used in many countries. In this study, we developed a molecular assay, named multiplex ligation reaction based on probe melting curve analysis (MLMA), for simultaneous identification of V. parahaemolyticus 57 K-serogroups.

Vibrio vulnificus is a deadly human pathogen for which infections occur via seafood consumption (foodborne) or direct contact with wounds. Virulence is not fully characterized for this organism; however, there is evidence of biochemical and genotypic correlations with virulence potential. In this study, biochemical profiles and virulence genotype, based on 16S rRNA gene (rrn) and virulence correlated gene (vcg) types, were determined for 30 clinical and 39 oyster isolates.

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. Domestic ruminants are the primary source for human infection, and the identification of likely contamination routes from the reservoir animals the critical point to implement control programs. This study shows that Q fever is detected in Belgium in abortion of cattle, goat and sheep at a different degree of apparent prevalence (1.93%, 9.19%, and 5.50%, respectively).

Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) leading to tuberculosis (TB) disease continues to be a major global health challenge. Critical barriers, including but not limited to the development of multi-drug resistance, lack of diagnostic assays that detect patients with latent TB, an effective vaccine that prevents Mtb infection, and infectious and non-infectious comorbidities that complicate active TB, continue to hinder progress toward a TB cure.

by Niladri S. Kar, Daniel Ferguson, Nianli Zhang, Erik I. Waldorff, James T. Ryaby, Joseph A. DiDonato

by Hyungryul Lim, Yong-Han Lee, Sanghyuk Bae, Do-Hyun Koh, Mira Yoon, Bo-Eun Lee, Jeong-Soo Kim, Ho-Jang Kwon

Objectives

by Iyll-Joon Doh, Huisung Kim, Jennifer Sturgis, Bartek Rajwa, J. Paul Robinson, Euiwon Bae

by Alexis Nzila, Musa M. Musa, Saravanan Sankara, Marwan Al-Momani, Lei Xiang, Qing X. Li

by León Gabriel Gómez-Archila, Martina Palomino-Schätzlein, Wildeman Zapata-Builes, Elkin Galeano

Author(s): Susana Castro-Seriche, Alonso Jerez-Morales, Carlos T. Smith, Kimberly Sánchez-Alonzo, Apolinaria García-Cancino

Author(s): Yawen Rong, Shujat Ali, Qin Ouyang, Li Wang, Bing Wang, Quansheng Chen