Research Publications (Food Safety)

Campylobacter spp., such as Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, are important zoonotic Gram-negative pathogens that cause acute intestinal diseases in humans. In this study, a retrospective analysis was conducted on previously collected Campylobacter isolates from antimicrobial resistance surveillance. A total of 29 optrA-positive C.

Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium are the main pathogens of diarrhea in weaned piglets. The prevention of bacterial diarrhea in weaned piglets by phage is rarely reported. We conducted this study to evaluate the preventive effect of phages on mixed Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium infections in weaned piglets.

Campylobacter species are known to be able to produce biofilm, which represents an ideal protective environment for the maintenance of such fragile bacteria. Since the genetic mechanisms promoting biofilm formation are still poorly understood, in this study we assessed the ability of C. jejuni (n = 7) and C.

Livestock-associated coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), such as Staphylococcus (S.) epidermidis, have emerged as a significant reservoir of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Clostridium (C.) perfringens is the causative agent of necrotic enteritis (NE), an important enteric disease in poultry. Although a variety of virulence factors have been identified and as such the pathogenesis is well studied, data on colonization and sporulation during passage in the intestinal tract are scarce. This study, therefore, evaluated the behaviour of C. perfringens in the different intestinal compartments of broiler chickens during a NE trial.

Type I interferon (IFN-I) is essential for the regulation of host–virus interactions, and viruses have evolved strategies to escape the host immune response. Duck hepatitis A virus type 1 (DHAV-1) causes severe liver necrosis and hemorrhage, neurological symptoms, and high mortality in ducklings. However, how DHAV-1 interacts with the duck innate immune system remains unclear.

Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum biovar Gallinarum is an avian-adapted pathogen causing fowl typhoid and leading to enormous economic loss in the global poultry industry. Two-component systems (TCSs) are crucial for bacteria survival, virulence, sensing and responding to the environment. 23 pairs of TCSs classified into five families were found in S.

Alternatives to antibiotics to improve animal performance, limit the negative impact of infectious disease, and/or reduce colonization with foodborne pathogens is a major focus of animal agricultural research. β-glucans, a generally-recognized-as-safe (GRAS) product derived from various sources, are used in swine and can serve as both a prebiotic and/or stimulant of the immune system given the expression of β-glucan receptors on immune cells.

Campylobacter jejuni is considered as the leading cause of worldwide foodborne bacterial gastroenteritis. Chicken is the main reservoir of C. jejuni. Avian innate immune responses to C. jejuni remain poorly defined. Chicken host defense peptides (HDPs) are the major components of avian innate immune system. This study aimed to characterize the chicken HDPs responses to C. jejuni in vitro and in vivo.

Spotty Liver Disease (SLD) is a significant disease of commercial layer hens. It can cause up to 10% flock mortalities and reduce egg production by 25%. Campylobacter hepaticus has been identified as the main cause of the disease, although it also appears that predisposing factors, such as some form of stress, may increase the likelihood of clinical disease occurring.

Bacteriophage inclusion as a feed additive could offer the prospect of its en masse application and reduce the intestinal carriage of Salmonella by broiler chickens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of microencapsulated phages as a strategy to control Salmonella and assess the impact of their use during the broiler rearing period.

The present study describes creating an attenuated Salmonella Gallinarum (SG) strain with reduced endotoxicity to prevent fowl typhoid. The strain was attenuated by deleting the lon, cpxR, and rfaL virulence-related genes. Endotoxicity was reduced by deleting the pagL open reading frame and replacing it with the lpxE gene derived from Francisella tularencis.

The mechanism of polymyxin resistance is complex, and the modification of lipopolysaccharide mediated by two-component system is one of the main cause of polymyxin reistance. To date, no studies have reported the contribution of the BaeSR two-component system to the polymyxin resistance of Salmonella.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the leading cause of infection in hospitalized patients and can be prevalent in humans and various animal species. In European countries, MRSA isolates belonging to clonal complex 398 have been detected at high rates in pigs. However, the prevalence of MRSA in pigs and farm environments in Japan remains unclear.

Campylobacteriosis is a significant public health concern with Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli as main causative agents. Moreover, there is an increasing recognition of other pathogenic Campylobacter species and Campylobacter-like organisms as Arcobacter.

The intestinal microbiota plays important roles in animal health and growth. We investigated the efficacy and mechanisms of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from adult SPF chickens against Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infection in chicks. We transplanted 160 recipient SPF chicks (1-day-old) that were randomly divided into four groups, Ca (challenge), Cb (non-challenge), Fa (FMT and challenge) and Fb (FMT without challenge). The experiment lasted 40 days.

As a natural alternative to traditional antimicrobials, phages are being recognised as highly effective control agents for Salmonella and other foodborne bacteria. Due to the high diversity of Salmonella serotypes and the emergence of phage-resistant strains, attempting to isolate more widespread, strictly lytic Salmonella phages is highly warranted. In this study, a lytic phage, LP31, was isolated from poultry faecal samples.

A Yersinia pseudotuberculosis outbreak was diagnosed in a male turkey flock in Finland. Y. pseudotuberculosis is a quite rare zoonotic bacterium, which typically causes enteritis in humans and sudden death in animals. In this study, osteomyelitis was diagnosed in small, lame, 11- to 12-wk-old male turkeys. Lameness and slower growth among the turkeys was observed on the farm.

The purpose of this study was to describe the clonal diversity of S. aureus strains derived from healthy dairy cattle and buffaloes as well as their close contact caretakers from the Nile Delta region, Egypt during 2019 and 2020, and to determine their antimicrobial resistance genotypes and virulence determinants.

The emerging hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome (HHS) caused by the novel genotype of fowl adenovirus 4 (FAdV-4) and the infectious bursal disease (IBD) caused by the infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) are important avian diseases, both cause huge economic losses to the poultry industry. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an efficient and convenient FAdV-4/IBDV bivalent vaccine to prevent the spread of FAdV-4 and IBDV infections.

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is an important zoonotic food-borne pathogenic microorganism. Currently, there are many reports on the prevalence of C. perfringens in poultry farms, while few studies on the prevalence and infection source of C. perfringens in egg hatcheries. The present study was undertaken to investigate and track C.

Among the numerous serotypes of Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), O1, O2 and O78 have long been considered the predominant serogroups. O145, a pivotal serogroup in non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, has never been considered an important serogroup among APEC. The prevalence of APEC O145 was determined from the results of molecular serogrouping based on 42 sequenced isolates from Jiangsu and Guangxi Provinces in China.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, with a broad-host range, is a predominant cause of non-typhoidal Salmonella infection in humans, and the infectious source is highly associated with food animals, especially poultry. Considering the horizontal transmission of S. Typhimurium from farm animals to humans, vaccination has been strongly recommended in industrial animals.

Campylobacter hepaticus causes Spotty Liver Disease (SLD) in layer hens, resulting in mortality and productivity losses. Like other Campylobacter species, C. hepaticus is a fastidious organism that requires microaerobic conditions to grow and efficiently replicate. Despite its apparent vulnerability to environmental conditions, it is suspected that there are environmental sources of C.