Research Publications (Food Safety)

While the differential association of Escherichia coli O157 genotypes with animal and human hosts has recently been well documented, little is known about their distribution between countries and how this might affect regional disease rates. Here, we used a 48-plex single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay to segregate 148 E. coli O157 isolates from Australia, Argentina, and the United States into 11 SNP lineages.

Human infection with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major cause of postdiarrheal hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition characterized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. E. coli O157:H7 is the dominant STEC serotype associated with HUS worldwide, although non-O157 STEC serogroups can cause a similar disease. The detection of anti-O157 E.

Strains of Escherichia coli O26:H11 that were positive for stx2 alone (n = 23), which were not epidemiologically related or part of an outbreak, were isolated from pediatric patients in France between 2010 and 2013. We were interested in comparing these strains with the new highly virulent stx2a-positive E.

We encountered a rare case of severe fatal infection in a 70-year-old woman due to Campylobacter upsaliensis, identified by PCR amplification and sequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA gene using DNA extracted from the isolates. To our knowledge, fatal sepsis due to this organism has never been described to date.

An unusual increase in the number of Campylobacter concisus isolates found in stool cultures provoked an outbreak investigation at Bern University Hospital. No epidemiological links were found between the cases, and the Campylobacter isolates were clonally unrelated. A change in culture conditions to a hydrogen-rich atmosphere enhancing growth of C. concisus was deemed responsible for this pseudo-outbreak.

Most infant botulism cases worldwide are due to botulinum toxin types A and B. Rarely, Clostridium botulinum strains that produce two serotypes (Ab, Ba, and Bf) have also been isolated from infant botulism cases. This is the first reported case of infant botulism due to C. botulinum type Af worldwide.

An outbreak of human botulism was due to consumption of ham containing botulinum neurotoxins B and E. A Clostridium botulinum type E strain isolated from ham was assigned to a new subtype (E12) based on bont/E gene sequencing and belongs to a new multilocus sequence subtype, as analyzed by whole-genome sequencing.

The prebiotic effect of inulin added to MRS medium on growth and bacteriocin production by L. plantarum ST16 Pa was investigated in stationary cultures in anaerobic jars with medium containing 0.025% sodium thioglycolate or in flasks shaken at 100 rpm. In the presence of 1% inulin in anaerobic stationary cultures, this strain produced lactic acid at a level that was 36.5% higher than in the absence of the polysaccharide.

Pei Xiao, Hongxia Yang, Dongdong Di, Dongri Piao, Qiuxiang Zhang, Ruie Hao, Suxia Yao, Rong Zhao, Fanfei Zhang, Guozhong Tian, Hongyan Zhao, Weixing Fan, Buyun Cui, Hai Jiang

Background

Publication date: May 2015
, Volume 103
Author(s): Marzieh Kamankesh , Abdorreza Mohammadi , Hedayat Hosseini , Zohreh Modarres Tehrani

On 14-16 October the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is organising a conference with the title ‘Shaping the future of food safety, together’. The objectives of the conference are to take stock of challenges and opportunities for risk assessment to contribute to policy development and the assessment in the area of food safety.

Publication date: 16 April 2015
, Volume 199
Author(s): Qingming Kong , Lanfen Fan , Junhe Zhang , Nobuaki Akao , Kewei Dong , Di Lou , Jianzu Ding , Qunbo Tong , Bin Zheng , Rui Chen , Nobuo Ohta , Shaohong Lu

Wildlife is a known reservoir of pathogenic bacteria, including Mycobacterium bovis and Brucella spp. Transmission of these pathogens between wildlife and food animals can lead to damaging impacts on the agri-food industry and public health. Several international case studies have highlighted the complex and cross-sectoral challenges involved in preventing and managing these potential transmission risks.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Host plants excrete a glucosylation enzyme onto the plant surface that changes mycotoxins derived from fungal secondary metabolites to glucosylated products. Deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON3G) is synthesized by grain uridine diphosphate-glucosyltransferase, and is found worldwide, although information on its toxicity is lacking. Here, we conducted growth tests and DNA microarray analysis to elucidate the characteristics of DON3G.

Publication date: March 2015
, Volume 101
Author(s): Lei Wang , Peng Jin , Jing Wang , Lulu Jiang , Shurong Zhang , Hansheng Gong , Hongxia Liu , Yonghua Zheng

A single laboratory validation study of a rapid and sensitive quantitative method for the analysis of cereulide toxin produced by Bacillus cereus using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry is presented. The analysis of this cyclic peptide toxin was validated for pasta and rice samples using a newly presented synthetic cereulide peptide standard, together with 13C6-cereulide that previously have not been commercially available.

Publication date: 16 March 2015
, Volume 197
Author(s): M.J. Vilar , S. Virtanen , R. Laukkanen-Ninios , H. Korkeala

Publication date: June 2015
, Volume 48
Author(s): Vinayak Ghate , Ai Ling Leong , Amit Kumar , Woo Suk Bang , Weibiao Zhou , Hyun-Gyun Yuk

Publication date: 16 March 2015
, Volume 197
Author(s): Rowaida K.S. Khalil , Mohamed A.E. Gomaa , Mahmoud I.M. Khalil

Publication date: Available online 2 January 2015

Author(s): Bin Zhang , Zhou-rong Shi , Xiao-ling Wang , Shang-gui Deng , Hui-min Lin

Publication date: June 2015
, Volume 48
Author(s): Maryam Alnoman , Pathima Udompijitkul , Daniel Paredes-Sabja , Mahfuzur R. Sarker

Publication date: June 2015
, Volume 48
Author(s): Laurel S. Burall , Alexandra C. Simpson , Luoth Chou , Pongpan Laksanalamai , Atin R. Datta

Publication date: June 2015
, Volume 48
Author(s): Amin N. Olaimat , Richard A. Holley

Publication date: June 2015
, Volume 52
Author(s): Omaima M. Ahmed , Philipus Pangloli , Cheng-An Hwang , Svetlana Zivanovic , Tao Wu , Doris D'Souza , F.Ann Draughon