Research Publications (Food Safety)

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, Accepted Article. Hepatitis E virus (HEV, family Hepeviridae) is an important emerging and zoonotic pathogen. In recent decades, the number of human cases of zoonotic hepatitis E has increased considerably in industrialized countries and HEV has been detected in an expanding range of mammal species.

Zoonoses and Public Health, EarlyView. Enhanced Salmonella surveillance programmes in poultry were implemented in all European Member States, with minimum prevalence targets for a list of targeted serotypes to safeguard food and public health.

Cryptosporidium is an important cause of gastroenteritis globally and the main agent of waterborne outbreaks caused by protozoan parasites. Water monitoring for Cryptosporidium oocysts is by detection and enumeration using stained slide microscopy. Species identification (known as genotyping) may be undertaken post hoc and remains a specialist test, only undertaken in some laboratories.

In recent decades, there has been an increase in the reports of antimicrobial resistance of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) constituting a serious threat to the therapeutic management of listeriosis infection. Our study profiled the antibiogram fingerprint of Lm isolates (n = 194) recovered from common South African ready-to-eat (RTE) foods. Lm isolates recovered from foods were tested against a panel of 22 antibiotics using the disc diffusion techniques.

A study was undertaken to model the UV‑C inactivation kinetics and determine the fluences required for the incremental inactivation of several strains of Cronobacter  spp. suspended in clear phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). A total of 13 strains of Cronobacter  spp. were individually suspended in PBS and treated with UV‑C doses of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mJ cm ‑2 using a collimated beam device emitting UV‑C at 253.7 nm.

Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor, causative agent of the ongoing seventh cholera pandemic, is native to the aquatic environment of the Ganges Delta, Bay of Bengal (GDBB). Recent studies traced pandemic strains to the GDBB and proposed global spread of cholera had occurred via intercontinental transmission. In the research presented here, NotI-digested genomic DNA extracted from V.

Vibrio is an important conditional pathogen in shrimp aquaculture. This research reported a dominant bacteria strain E1 isolated from a shrimp tank with the method of biofloc culture, which was further identified as Vibrio owensii. To understand the interaction between V. owensii and the host shrimp, we studied the pathogenicity of the V.

Flue gas lead emission during sludge incineration damages to human health and ecological environment seriously. Therefore, a denitrifying bio-trickling filter (DNBTF) for lead removal in flue gas from sludge incineration was investigated.

A total of 511 topsoils and 139 deep soil samples were collected to analyze the distribution characteristics, regional differentiation factors, and contamination sources of Cd in Shantou City, and to assess its environmental, ecological, and human health risks.

Campylobacteriosis was the most frequently reported foodborne infection in humans in the European Union in the last years. Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks from Spain was monitored at farm level during 12-month period (2020–2021).

Due to global climate change, abiotic stresses are affecting plant growth, productivity, and the quality of cultivated crops. Stressful conditions disrupt physiological activities and suppress defensive mechanisms, resulting in stress-sensitive plants.

Bovine Genital Campylobacteriosis (BGC) is a worldwide spread venereal disease of cattle caused by Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis (Cfv). Although several real-time PCR assays were developed for Cfv identification, most target mobile genetic elements, which may lead to false-positive diagnosis. In this study, a real-time PCR assay coupled with High-Resolution Melting analysis (HRM) was developed for the identification of Campylobacter fetus subspecies and application in BGC diagnosis.

Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are associated with life-threatening infections. Despite the best medical care, these infections frequently occur due to antibiotic resistance and the formation of biofilms of these two bacteria (i.e., clusters of bacteria embedded in a matrix). As a consequence, there is an urgent need for effective anti-biofilm treatments.

Low moisture foods (LMFs) have traditionally been recognized as safe for consumption, as most bacteria require higher water content to grow. However, outbreaks due to LMF foods are increasing, and the microbial pathogen Salmonella enterica is frequently implicated. S. enterica can survive in LMFs for years, but few serovars have been studied, and the mechanisms which underlie this longevity are not well understood. Here, we determine that S. enterica serovars S. Tennessee, S. Anatum, and S.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is second only to aflatoxin in toxicity among mycotoxins. Recent studies have shown that selenomethionine (SeMet) has a protective effect on mycotoxin-induced toxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of SeMet on OTA-induced liver injury in rabbits.

The Dutch ‘search and destroy’ policy consists of screening patients with an increased risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriership and subsequent decolonization treatment when carriership is found. Decolonization therapy of individual MRSA carriers is effective.

Multidrug resistance is commonly acquired by transferring DNA from one bacterium to another. However, the mechanisms that enhance the acquisitions of foreign genes are poorly understood, as well as the dynamics of their transmission between hosts in different environments. Here, genomic approaches were applied to evaluate the enrichment of the S.

Bacterial antibiotic resistance is rapidly growing globally and poses a severe health threat as the number of multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria increases. The observed resistance is partially due to natural evolution and to a large extent is attributed to antibiotic misuse and overuse. As the rate of antibiotic resistance increases, it is crucial to develop new drugs to address the emergence of MDR and XDR pathogens.

Campylobacter jejuni is a major foodborne pathogen and the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, i.e., campylobacteriosis. Besides searching for novel antimicrobials, identification of new targets for their action is becoming increasingly important. Rhodiola rosea has long been used in traditional medicine. Ethanolic extracts from the roots and rhizomes of the plant contain a wide range of bioactive compounds with various pharmacological activities.

In Tanzania, the increased demand for animal-derived foods, particularly eggs, meat, and milk, has resulted in the intensification of farming systems with the use of antimicrobials, particularly sulphonamides and tetracyclines. According to the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius commission, concentrations of antimicrobial residues in food exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and maximum residual limit (MRL) pose a health risk to consumers.

Background:Neonatal sepsis (NNS) in developing countries continues to be a diagnostic and management challenge due to the delays in identifying the aetiologic pathogens and antibiograms.Aim:To determine the predominant bacterial isolates, antibiotic susceptibility pattern and outcomes of blood culture proven sepsis in neonates.Methodology:A hospital-based cross-sectional study of 120 neonates admitted into the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi

Infection and Immunity, Ahead of Print. Gram-positive bacteria produce small autoinducing peptides (AIPs), which act to regulate expression of genes that promote adaptive traits, including virulence. The Gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus generates a cyclic AIP that controls expression of virulence factors via the accessory gene regulatory (Agr) system. S.

Journal of Food Science, EarlyView. To overcome defects of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and expand its applications in food preservation, PVA/Ag@SiO2 nanocomposite films were prepared using the solution intercalation film-casting method. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-visible absorption spectra were applied to confirm the synthesis of the nanoparticles (NPs).

Journal of Food Safety, EarlyView. This study examined the changes in biofilm-formation ability, hemolytic/lipase/nuclease/protease activities, and resistance to various bactericidal treatments of Staphylococcus aureus after sublethal treatment with carvacrol and thymol. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of carvacrol and thymol for S.

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Accepted Article. Aims The aim of this study was to develop a novel approach using lateral flow recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA-LF) combined with immunomagnetic separation (IMS) for the rapid detection of Staphylococcus aureus in milk. Methods and results Under optimum conditions, the average capture efficiency values (CEs) for S.