Research Publications (Food Safety)

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are responsible for most cases of urinary tract infections worldwide. We present the draft whole-genome sequence of the UPEC 252 strain, which carries the eae gene that encodes the intimin adhesin. Intimin promotes intimate adherence of enteropathogenic E. coli and enterohemorrhagic E. coli to intestinal cells.

This report shows the whole-genome sequence of the multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Infantis strain FARPER-219. Antibiotic resistance genes are found mainly in the plasmid. Our findings show important genetic information that provides an understanding of the recent spread of this serotype in poultry.

Monophasic Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium is one of the most common zoonotic pathogens. Salmonella species reside in a wide variety of hosts, including wild animals. Thus, we report here the genome sequences of 12 monophasic S. Typhimurium strains isolated from healthy wild vultures to gain better insight into their epidemiology and host-pathogen interactions.

Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 strain ATCC 43888 is a Shiga toxin-deficient human fecal isolate. Due to its reduced toxicity and its availability from a curated culture collection, the strain has been used extensively in applied research studies. Here, we report the Illumina-corrected PacBio whole-genome sequence of E. coli O157:H7 strain ATCC 43888.

Bacteriophages that infect the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes were previously isolated from New York dairy farms. The complete genome sequences for three of these Listeria phages, with genome sizes of 64.6 to 65.7 kb, are presented here. Listeria phages LP-010, LP-013, and LP-031-2 are siphoviruses that belong to the genus Homburgvirus.

We report high-quality closed reference genomes for 1 bovine strain and 10 human Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains from serogroups O26, O45, O91, O103, O104, O111, O113, O121, O145, and O157. We also report draft assemblies, with standardized metadata, for 360 STEC strains isolated from watersheds, animals, farms, food, and human infections.

Bacteroides pyogenes is found in the human and animal gut and is implicated in the pathogenesis of metritis in cows. We report the draft genome sequences of four Bacteroides pyogenes isolates obtained from the uterus of metritic cows. This will increase the understanding of its pathogenicity, antimicrobial resistance, and differentiation across hosts.

We present the complete genome sequence of an enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O111:H8 strain. This strain was isolated from a hemolytic-uremic syndrome patient and was responsible for a large outbreak associated with the consumption of raw beef in 2011.

The genome of a multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar I 4,[5],12:i:– isolate from the 2015 U.S. pork outbreak was sequenced. The complete nucleotide sequence of USDA15WA-1 is 5,031,277 bp, including Salmonella genomic island 4 encoding tolerance to multiple metals and an MDR module inserted in the fljB region.

We present the complete genome sequence of fluoranthene-consuming Cycloclasticus sp. strain PY97N. This strain has one circular chromosome with a G+C content of 42.06%. Moreover, two genomic islands were identified as putative conjugative elements. These genomic details are expected to inform our understanding of the remarkable catabolic capacities of organisms of the Cycloclasticus lineage.

Salmonella enterica is a Gram-negative human pathogen widely known to cause food poisoning. Here, the genome of S. enterica phage Shelanagig is described. Its 42,541-bp genome codes for 68 proteins, for which 33 were assigned a predicted function. Shelanagig shares high similarity at the protein level with other Salmonella phages.

Acinetobacter species are important in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which threatens human and animal health worldwide. Here, we present the draft genome sequences of three Acinetobacter species strains (RF14B, RF15A, and RF15B) isolated from pig feces and the floor of a pig hospital pen in Ireland.