Effect of Bacteriophages against Biofilms of Escherichia coli on Food Processing Surfaces.

The bacterial adhesion to food processing surfaces is a threat to human health, as these surfaces can serve as reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria. Escherichia coli is an easily biofilm-forming bacterium involved in surface contamination that can lead to the cross-contamination of food. Despite the application of disinfection protocols, contamination through food processing surfaces continues to occur. Hence, new, effective, and sustainable alternative approaches are needed. Bacteriophages (or simply phages), viruses that only infect bacteria, have proven to be effective in reducing biofilms. Here, phage phT4A was applied to prevent and reduce E. coli biofilm on plastic and stainless steel surfaces at 25 °C. The biofilm formation capacity of phage-resistant and sensitive bacteria, after treatment, was also evaluated. The inactivation effectiveness of phage phT4A was surface-dependent, showing higher inactivation on plastic surfaces. Maximum reductions in E. coli biofilm of 5.5 and 4.0 log colony-forming units (CFU)/cm2 after 6 h of incubation on plastic and stainless steel, respectively, were observed. In the prevention assays, phage prevented biofilm formation in 3.2 log CFU/cm2 after 12 h. Although the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria has been observed during phage treatment, phage-resistant bacteria had a lower biofilm formation capacity compared to phage-sensitive bacteria. Overall, the results suggest that phages may have applicability as surface disinfectants against pathogenic bacteria, but further studies are needed to validate these findings using phT4A under different environmental conditions and on different materials.

Accessory liver lobe: an uncommon abdominal mass mimicker.

Heterotopic hepatic tissue is a rare development anomaly, exhibiting diverse forms and locations. We present a case report of an asymptomatic woman in her 40s who had an 8 cm mass in the left hypochondrium detected on routine ultrasound, which was initially suspected to be a tumour. Further investigation revealed that the mass had a similar enhancement to the liver on gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MRI and presented a connection with the original liver via vascular pedicle, favouring the diagnosis of accessory liver lobe (ALL). Accurate differentiation of ALL from other abdominal masses poses a diagnostic challenge, potentially leading to misdiagnosis of malignant tumours and unnecessary interventions. Although usually small and asymptomatic, rarely they can present with acute complications, and cross-sectional techniques play an important role in enabling early diagnosis and management. Therefore, radiologists must raise awareness regarding ALL, their imagological findings, and diagnostic pathways, and understand potential associated complications.