Research Publications (Food Safety)

The level of pathogens in poultry litter used for raising broiler chickens is critical to the overall health of a broiler chicken flock and food safety. Therefore, it is imperative that methods used for determining bacterial concentration in litter are accurate and reproducible across studies.

Campylobacter is a major foodborne pathogen with over a million United States cases a year and is typically acquired through the consumption of poultry products. The common occurrence of Campylobacter as a member of the poultry gastrointestinal tract microbial community remains a challenge for optimizing intervention strategies.

Author(s): Xiaofei Li, Qinwen Chai, Lina Zheng, Pingyu Huang, Ozan Gundogdu, Xinan Jiao, Yuanyue Tang, Jinlin Huang

Author(s): Jae-Ho Guk, JungHa Woo, Hyokeun Song, Woo-Hyun Kim, Jinshil Kim, Sangryeol Ryu, Seongbeom Cho

Phages infecting Campylobacter jejuni are considered a promising intervention strategy at broiler farms, yet phage sensitivity of naturally occurring poultry isolates is not well studied. Here, we investigated phage sensitivity and identified resistance mechanisms of C. jejuni strains originating from Danish broilers belonging to the most prevalent MLST (ST) types. Determining plaque formation of 51 phages belonging to Fletchervirus or Firehammervirus showed that 21 out of 31 C.

Background

The aim of this review was to provide an update on the complex relationship between manure application, altered pathogen levels and antibiotic resistance. This is necessary to protect health and improve the sustainability of this major farming practice in agricultural systems based on high levels of manure production.

Campylobacter spp. are a major cause of bacterial foodborne diarrhea worldwide. While thermophilic Campylobacter species asymptomatically colonize the intestines of chickens, most human infections in industrial countries have been attributed to consumption of chicken meat or cross-contaminated products.

Author(s): Jibin Zhang, Ronald M. Goto, Androniki Psifidi, Mark P. Stevens, Robert L. Taylor, Marcia M. Miller

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Accepted Article. Aims
The aim of the study was to develop a microarray-based method for the detection of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter in broiler farms to decrease the risk of contamination of chicken meat.

ABSTRACT High Temperature Requirement A (HtrA) was identified as a secreted virulence factor in many pathogenic bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes. Recently, it was discovered that Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni HtrAs can directly cleave the human cell-adhesion molecule E-cadherin, which facilitates bacterial transmigration. HtrAs also interact with extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules.

Foodborne pathogens significantly impact public health globally. Excessive antimicrobial use plays a significant role in the development of the public health crisis of antibiotic resistance. Here, we determined the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of E. coli O157, Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, and Campylobacter isolated between 2016 and 2020 from small scale agricultural settings that were amended with dairy cattle or poultry manure in Northeastern Ohio.

Campylobacter is the leading bacterial pathogen that causes human foodborne illnesses worldwide and outbreaks have been associated with consumption of under-cooked chicken livers.  The objectives of this study were to compare two PCR assays for speciation of 250 Campylobacter isolates, to assess antibiotic resistance of the isolates, and to analyze genetic diversity of the quinolone resistance determining regions (QRDR) of the isolates.

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is the leading causative agent of gastroenteritis and Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS). Capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and lipooligosaccharide (LOS) contribute to the susceptibility of campylobacteriosis, which have been concern the major evaluation indicators of C. jejuni isolates from clinical patients. As a foodborne disease, food animal plays a primary role in the infection of campylobacteriosis. To assess the pathogenic characterizations of C.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most serious threats to medical science. Food supply is recognized as a potential source of resistant bacteria, leading to the development of surveillance programs targeting primarily poultry, pork, and beef.

The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Campylobacter spp. is a global concern. This study evaluated the use of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to predict AMR in Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli. A panel of 271 isolates recovered from Canadian poultry was used to compare AMR genotype to antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results (azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, gentamicin, tetracycline, florfenicol, nalidixic acid, telithromycin, and clindamycin).

Campylobacter jejuni is a common cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. Human infection typically occurs through the ingestion of contaminated poultry products. We previously demonstrated that an attenuated Escherichia coli live vaccine strain expressing the C. jejuni N-glycan on its surface reduced the Campylobacter load in more than 50% of vaccinated leghorn and broiler birds to undetectable levels (responder birds), whereas the remainder of the animals was still colonized (non-responders).

Microbial genomes are highly adaptable, with mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) mediating the dissemination of new genetic information throughout bacterial populations. This is countered by defence mechanisms such as CRISPR-Cas systems, which limit invading MGEs by sequence-specific targeting.

Author(s): Malgorzata Emanowicz, Joseph Meade, Catherine Burgess, Declan Bolton, John Egan, Helen Lynch, Lisa O'Connor, Aidan Coffey, Brigid Lucey, Montserrat Gutierrez, William Byrne, Rosemarie Slowey, Paul Whyte

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to quantify the effects of processing stages and interventions on the prevalence and concentration of Campylobacter on broiler carcasses.

In recent times, resistant foodborne pathogens, especially of the Campylobacter species, have created several global crises. These crises have been compounded due to the evolution of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens and the emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) and pan-drug-resistant (PDR) strains. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the development of resistance and the existence of both XDR and PDR among Campylobacter isolates.

  Campylobacter jejuni   strains that produce sialylated lipooligosaccharides (LOS) can cause the immune-mediated disease Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).

Author(s): Kohei Takeoka, Hiroki Abe, Kento Koyama, Shigenobu Koseki

by Nicolay Mortensen, Solveig Aalstad Jonasson, Ingrid Viola Lavesson, Knut Erik Emberland, Sverre Litleskare, Knut-Arne Wensaas, Guri Rortveit, Nina Langeland, Kurt Hanevik