Planning for rapid response to outbreaks of animal diseases transmissible to humans via food.

Planning for rapid response to outbreaks of foodborne zoonoses requires coordination and intersectoral collaboration, making the process inherently complex. Guidance documents have been published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on the topics of foodborne outbreak investigation, establishing food safety emergency response plans, applying risk analysis principles during food safety emergencies, and developing national food recall systems. These guides should be used as resources by national authorities to develop national plans which should each reference the other in order to maintain consistency at the country level. FAO and WHO, together with the World Organisation for Animal Health (O1E), are the international organisations responsible at the global level for the health of people and animals and for food safety and security. As such, these organisations need to continue to work together to develop an intersectoral mechanism to conduct robust and timely joint risk assessments in the face of foodborne outbreaks and other food safety emergencies. Three international instruments have the potential to aid countries in their preparedness to face outbreaks of foodborne zoonoses and organise subsequent response efforts: the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), the newly enhanced Global Early Warning System for Major Animal Diseases, including Zoonoses (GLEWS+), and the FAO Emergency Prevention System for Food Safety (EMPRES Food Safety).

Integrated surveillance and potential sources of Salmonella enteritidis in human cases in Canada from 2003 to 2009.

Salmonella enteritidis has emerged as the most prevalent cause of human salmonellosis in Canada. Recent trends of S. enteritidis subtypes and their potential sources were described by integrating Salmonella data from several Canadian surveillance and monitoring programmes. A threefold increase in S. enteritidis cases from 2003 to 2009 was identified to be primarily associated with phage types 13, 8 and 13a. Other common phage types (4, 1, 6a) showed winter seasonality and were more likely to be associated with cases linked to international travel. Conversely, phage types 13, 8 and 13a had summer seasonal peaks and were associated with cases of domestically acquired infections. During agri-food surveillance, S. enteritidis was detected in various commodities, most frequently in chicken (with PT13, PT8 and PT13a predominating). Antimicrobial resistance was low in human and non-human isolates. Continued integrated surveillance and collaborative prevention and control efforts are required to mitigate future illness.

Mixed function oxidase induction in Carcinus aestuarii. Field and experimental studies for the evaluation of toxicological risk due to Mediterranean contaminants.

The aim of this study was to test and validate the use of mixed function oxidase (MFO) induction, in the crab Carcinus aestuarii, under experimental and field studies, for the evaluation of toxicological risk due to the main contaminants in the Mediterranean. Two different experiments were performed in the laboratory in order to identify the most suitable tissues for MFO studies in this species and the most suitable and sensitive MFO responses for evaluating chemical stress due to lipophilic contaminants. In order to validate this methodology in the field, two studies were carried out in two polluted Mediterranean lagoons: a transplant experiment in Orbetello Lagoon and an in situ experiment in Venice Lagoon. The following MFO responses were investigated in hepatopancreas and gills of the crabs: ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase (BPH) activities and reductase enzyme activities. The main results can be summarised as follows: midgut-gland and gills were confirmed to be useful for MFO tests; BPH activity in hepatopancreas was the most suitable and sensitive MFO response for evaluating chemical stress due to Mediterranean contaminants in laboratory and field studies; in the Orbetello Lagoon experiment, a statistically significant difference was found between sites subject to different human impact.

Fingerprint of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in two populations of southern sea lions (Otaria flavescens).

The fingerprint of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated in biopsy, fur, blood, liver and faeces of live and dead specimens of two Argentinian population of southern sea lion (Otaria flavescens). One colony lives in Mar del Plata harbour which is particularly polluted with petroleum, the second (control) colony lives at Punta Bermeja (Patagonia). The highest concentrations of the five carcinogenic PAHs were found in the Mar del Plata sea lions.

Skin biopsy as a nondestructive tool for the toxicological assessment of endangered populations of pinnipeds: preliminary results on mixed function oxidase in Otaria flavescens.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a method for assessing the toxicological risk of endangered populations of pinnipeds based on a nondestructive biological tool, the skin biopsy specimen. Skin biopsies can be obtained from pinnipeds by anaesthetising the animals and taking a small amount of skin in the anterior flipper area, or by shooting a biopsy dart with a crossbow. Skin biopsy material is suitable for a wide range of chemical and biomarker analysis. Organochlorines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can be analysed in subcutaneous fat and MFO activity (BPMO), Cyt.P450 isoforms, and DNA damage can be detected in epidermis.

Biomarker responses at different levels of biological organisation in crabs (Carcinus aestuarii) experimentally exposed to benzo(alpha)pyrene.

The aim of this study was to validate a multi-trial biomarker approach for the evaluation of toxicological risk due to benzo(alpha)pyrene. Carcinus aestuarii, exposed to increasing concentrations of B(alpha)P in the water, was used as the bioindicator organism. A set of biomarkers were tested in order to: identify biological materials for biomarker and residue analysis; determine a group of sensitive techniques for the assessment of PAH contamination; investigate correlation between responses at different levels of biological organisation. The results underlined that BPMO activities in hepatopancreas and gills were a good biomarker of exposure to PAH-type compounds. B esterases activities in hemolymph and porphyrin patterns in excreta could be proposed as a non-destructive approach for evaluating chemical exposure in this species.

Técnica de medición de la presión arterial utilizada por enfermeras auxiliares del Hospital Universitario de Caracas / Measurement technical of arterial pressure utilizated by assi of Hospital Universitario de Caracas

Se compararon las variables consideradas errores técnicos frecuentes cometidos durante el procedimiento de medición de la presión arterial a 50, entre un grupo de enfermeras auxiliares entrenadas (grupo control) y no entrenadas (grupo experimental). Con respecto al grupo control, en el 97 por ciento de las mediciones el manguito fue centrado correctamente en el brazo del paciente, en el 0 por ciento fue colocado sobre la ropa del mismo, en el 99 por ciento de los casos se utilizó el método palpatorio previa medición, en el 100 por ciento se palpó la arteria braquial y se usó la campana del estetoscopio, y en el 95 por ciento la velocidad de desinflado del manguito fue apropiada; los valores correspondientes al grupo experimental fueron 46 por ciento, 36 por ciento, 0 por ciento, 46 por ciento, 2 por ciento, y 18 por ciento, respectivamente (p<0,001 en todas las comparaciones). Se evaluaron las preferencias por dígitos terminales: en el grupo experimental hubo una preferencia absoluta por el dígito terminal cero para las presiones sistólicas, y casi absoluta para las presiones diastólicas, en el grupo control la distribución de dígitos terminales fue más homogénea. Valores convencionales como 120/80mmHg se registraron en el 14 por ciento de las mediciones del grupo experimental y solo en el 0,5 por ciento de las del grupo control (p<0,001). Las consecuencias de una técnica inadecuada sobre las decisiones terapéuticas son considerables, sobre todo por efectos aditivos de los errores. Esto se expresa en que el grupo experimental clasificó como hipertensos a 14 por ciento de los pacientes cuando no lo eran, y no clasificó como hipertensos a 4 por ciento cuando sí lo eran