Microbial risk assessment of dairy products from retail marketplaces in Basrah province, Iraq.

Background: Milk-borne bacteria cause degradation of milk products and constitute a significant risk to public health. Aim: The objectives of the present study are to determine the microbiological quality of dairy products and to investigate pathogenic microorganisms. Methods: A total of 60 samples of raw milk, homemade cheese, and yogurt were randomly selected from different retail marketplaces in Basrah. The bacteriological and biochemical tests were utilized to identify the pathogens in dairy samples, as well as the molecular technique was used as an accurate diagnostic test. Results: The prevalence of contamination of milk products with various isolates was estimated as 50% (95% Cl: 36.8-63.2). The mean of total bacteria count for cheese was 7.29 ± 2.70, raw milk 4.62 ± 2.86, and yogurt 2.87 ± 1.05, with a significant p-value (p = 0.001). The mean count of aerobic spore-forming (ASF) contaminated raw milk was analyzed as 3.77 ± 1.18 and less contamination detected in the yogurt samples with mean of ASF was estimated as 2.52 ± 1.47 SD log 10 CFU/ml. A range of important microorganisms to human health were identified by employing the VITEK_2 system and sequencing 16S rDNA gene, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aerogenosa, and Bacillus cereus. Conclusion: The study indicates that there is a high level of bacterial contamination in dairy products with different bacteria species, which is medically important. Therefore, food safety management must be implemented to reduce biological risks carried by dairy products and ensure healthy food for consumers.

Listeriosis associated with pre-prepared sandwich consumption in hospital in England, 2017.

A case of listeriosis occurred in a hospitalised patient in England in July 2017. Analysis by whole genome sequencing of the Listeria monocytogenes from the patient's blood culture was identified as clonal complex (CC) 121. This culture was indistinguishable to isolates from sandwiches, salads and the maufacturing environment of Company X which supplied these products widely to the National Health Service. Whilst an inpatient, the case was served sandwiches produced by this company on 12 occasions. No other cases infected by this type were detected in the UK between 2016 and 2020. Between 2016 and 2020, more than 3000 samples of food, food ingredients and environmental swabs from this company were tested. Listeria monocytogenes contamination rates declined after July 2017 from 31% to 0.3% for salads and 3% to 0% for sandwiches. A monophyletic group of 127 L. monocytogenes CC121 isolates was recovered during 2016-2019 and was used to estimate the time of the most recent common ancestor as 2014 (95% CI of between 2012 and 2016). These results represent persistent contamination of equipment, food contact surfaces and foods at a food manufacturer by a single L. monocytogenes strain. Colonisation and persistent contamination of food and production environments are risks for public health.

Decreased Incidence of Infections Caused by Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2017-2020.

Foodborne illnesses are a substantial and largely preventable public health problem; before 2020 the incidence of most infections transmitted commonly through food had not declined for many years. To evaluate progress toward prevention of foodborne illnesses in the United States, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) of CDC's Emerging Infections Program monitors the incidence of laboratory-diagnosed infections caused by eight pathogens transmitted commonly through food reported by 10 U.S. sites.* FoodNet is a collaboration among CDC, 10 state health departments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), and the Food and Drug Administration. This report summarizes preliminary 2020 data and describes changes in incidence with those during 2017-2019. During 2020, observed incidences of infections caused by enteric pathogens decreased 26% compared with 2017-2019; infections associated with international travel decreased markedly. The extent to which these reductions reflect actual decreases in illness or decreases in case detection is unknown. On March 13, 2020, the United States declared a national emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the declaration, state and local officials implemented stay-at-home orders, restaurant closures, school and child care center closures, and other public health interventions to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (1). Federal travel restrictions were declared (1). These widespread interventions as well as other changes to daily life and hygiene behaviors, including increased handwashing, have likely changed exposures to foodborne pathogens. Other factors, such as changes in health care delivery, health care-seeking behaviors, and laboratory testing practices, might have decreased the detection of enteric infections. As the pandemic continues, surveillance of illness combined with data from other sources might help to elucidate the factors that led to the large changes in 2020; this understanding could lead to improved strategies to prevent illness. To reduce the incidence of these infections concerted efforts are needed, from farm to processing plant to restaurants and homes. Consumers can reduce their risk of foodborne illness by following safe food-handling and preparation recommendations.

Isolation and Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli from Retail Beef Samples from Eight Provinces in China.

While Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major foodborne pathogen worldwide, data on the molecular and phylogenetic properties of STEC isolates from retail beef samples in China remain scant. Fresh retail beef samples (n = 1062) were collected from eight provinces, and STEC isolates were recovered and characterized. PCR data showed that more than 50% of the samples were stx positive, and 82 STEC isolates were recovered from 14.8% (79/535) stx-positive enriched broths. In contrast, all ciprofloxacin resistant isolates (n = 19) and 13 cefotaxime (CTX) resistant isolates were eae positive and belonged to three serotypes: O111:H8, O26:H11, or O157:H7. Point mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants were identified in 16 and 20 isolates, respectively. BlaCTX-M and a point mutation (C-42T) in ampC promoter were detected in 15 and 8 of the CTX resistant isolates, respectively. In addition, macrolide resistance gene mphA was identified in eight azithromycin resistant O111:H8 isolates and one O26:H11 isolate. Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis demonstrated that the O26 and O157 isolates had multiple origins, but the O111 isolates were closely related. Taken together, our data demonstrated that several sequence types associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome from the retail beef samples in China had developed into dangerous multidrug resistant pathogens. The resistant phenotype can facilitate their transmission among the farm animals and human beings when there is an antimicrobial selective pressure.

Semi-quantitative food safety risk profile of the Australian red meat industry.

In 2017-18, the Australian red meat (beef, sheep and goat species) industry generated more than $AUD 13 billion in export trade alone and is therefore of substantial importance to the Australian GDP. With both relatively high amounts of domestic red meat consumption and dependence on international markets, food safety risk is constantly reassessed so as to maintain a resilient industry sector. The current study aimed to conduct a food safety risk rating for the Australian red meat industry. In 2002, a food safety risk profile was developed for the Australian red meat industry. It included raw and processed meat products of cattle, sheep and goats and considered microbiological, chemical and physical hazards. The current risk rating was undertaken during 2017 and 2018. The first step was to conduct a hazard characterization, which involved a review of literature and data on foodborne outbreaks, pathogen surveillance and product recalls, and an expert elicitation process with 15 Australian food safety experts. This process identified the Hazard:Product:Process combinations to be considered and the likelihood of contamination at the point of consumption. These likelihood ratings were then combined with hazard severity ratings to qualitatively estimate the relative risk posed by each combination. Combinations with a moderate-to-high risk were included in the semi-quantitative risk rating using Risk Ranger v2, a tool that allows an estimation of the public health risk of hazard: product combinations and a ranking of this risk. The Risk Ranger tool provides a risk ranking (RR), ranging from 0 (no risk) to 100 (every member of the population eats a meal that contains a lethal dose of the hazard every day). STEC E. coli O157 (RR 35-39) and Salmonella spp. (RR 33-37) in undercooked hamburgers and Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat products (RR 35-38) were combinations which had the highest (moderate) risk for the general and susceptible populations. In addition, Toxoplasma gondii in undercooked lamb was identified as posing a high risk among pregnant women (RR 49). The study provides an updated food safety risk profile for the Australian red meat industry which, considering the available information, suggests red meat products do not pose a high food safety risk. The methodology developed in this study provides an easy to implement approach to profile and prioritise food safety risk and relies on data that can generated in most situations.

Contamination of Retail Meat Samples with Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Relation to Organic and Conventional Production and Processing: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Data from the United States National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, 2012-2017.

BACKGROUND: During food animal production, animals are exposed to, colonized by, and sometimes infected with bacteria that may contaminate animal products with susceptible and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO). The United States' Organic Foods Production Act resulted in decreased antibiotic use in some animal production operations. Some studies have reported that decreased antibiotic use is associated with reduced MDRO on meat. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate associations of meat production and processing methods with MDRO and overall bacterial contamination of retail meats. METHODS: Bacterial contamination data from 2012 to 2017 for chicken breast, ground beef, ground turkey, and pork chops were downloaded from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System. Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to estimate associations with MDRO contamination and any contamination (adjusted for year and meat type) overall, and according to bacteria genus (Salmonella, Campylobacter, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli) and meat type. RESULTS: A total of 39,349 retail meat samples were linked to 216 conventional, 123 split (conventional and organic), and three organic processing facilities. MDRO contamination was similar in conventionally produced meats processed at split vs. conventional facilities but was significantly lower in organically produced meats processed at split facilities [adjusted prevalance ratio (aPR)=0.43; 95% CI: 0.30, 0.63]. Meat processed by split vs. conventional processors had higher or similar MDRO contamination for all tested bacterial genera except Campylobacter (aPR=0.29; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.64). The prevalence of any contamination was lower in samples processed at split vs. conventional facilities for aggregated samples (aPR=0.70; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.73) and all meat types and bacterial genera. DISCUSSION: Organically produced and processed retail meat samples had a significantly lower prevalence of MDRO than conventionally produced and processed samples had, whereas meat from split processors had a lower prevalence of any contamination than samples from conventional processors had. Additional studies are needed to confirm findings and clarify specific production and processing practices that might explain them. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7327.

Genomic Analysis of Antibiotic-Resistant and -Susceptible Escherichia coli Isolated from Bovine Sources in Maputo, Mozambique.

This study reports a genomic analysis of Escherichia coli isolates recovered from 25 bovine fecal composite samples collected from four different production units in Maputo city and around Maputo Province, Mozambique. The genomes were analyzed to determine the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), genetic relatedness, and virulence factors known to cause diseases in humans. Whole-genome sequencing was conducted on 28 isolates using an Illumina NextSeq 500 sequencing platform. The genomes were analyzed using BLASTN for the presence of resistance genes and virulence factors, as well as to determine their phylogenetic groups, sequence types (ST), and ST complexes (ST Cplxs). The majority of the isolates (85%) were identified as members of phylogenetic groups B1, with fewer isolates identified as members of group A, and a single isolate identified as group "E/Clade I." The ST analysis demonstrated a higher level of diversity than the phylogenetic group analysis. Sixteen different STs, five ST Cplxs, and seven singleton complexes were identified. A strain identified as a novel ST (ST9215) showed a high level of similarity with an isolate recovered from a wild animal in the Gambia. Seven different ARGs were identified, with tet(B) being the most frequently detected, followed by aph(3″)-Ib, aph(6)-Id, sul2, blaTEM-1B, and dfrA1. Three isolates encoded ß-lactam-conferring point mutations in the ampC promoter (-42C>T). In total, 51 different virulence factors were identified among the genomes. This study demonstrates that E. coli from bovine sources in Mozambique encoded multiple antibiotic resistance elements, plasmids, and virulence factors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first genomic description of antibiotic-resistant E. coli isolated from bovine sources in Mozambique.

Mycotoxin Occurrence and Risk Assessment in Gluten-Free Pasta through UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS.

Celiac disease (CD) is a genetic-based autoimmune disorder which is characterized by inflammation in the small intestinal mucosa due to the intolerance to gluten. Celiac people should consume products without gluten, which are elaborated mainly with maize or other cereals. Contamination of cereals with mycotoxins, such as fumonisins (FBs) and aflatoxins (AFs) is frequently reported worldwide. Therefore, food ingestion is the main source of mycotoxin exposure. A new analytical method was developed and validated for simultaneous analysis of 21 mycotoxins in gluten-free pasta, commonly consumed by celiac population as an alternative to conventional pasta. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS) was used for analyte separation and detection. The mycotoxins included in this work were those widely reported to occur in cereal samples, namely, ochratoxin-A (OTA), aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2), zearalenone (ZON), deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-AcDON and 15-AcDON, respectively), nivalenol (NIV), neosolaniol (NEO), fusarenone-X, (FUS-X), T-2 toxin (T-2) and HT-2 toxin (HT-2), fumonisin B1 and B2 (FB1 and FB2, respectively), enniatins (ENN A, ENN A1, ENN B and ENN B1) and beauvericin (BEA). The validated method was successfully applied to 84 gluten-free pasta samples collected from several local markets of Campania region (Italy) during September to November 2020 to monitor the occurrence of mycotoxins and to assess the exposure to these food contaminants. A significant number of samples (95%) showed mycotoxin contamination, being Fusarium mycotoxins (FB1, ZON and DON) the most commonly detected ones. Regarding the risk assessment, the higher exposures were obtained for NIV, DON and FB1 for children and teenagers age group which can be explained due to their lower body weight.

Occurrence of Alternaria and Other Toxins in Cereal Grains Intended for Animal Feeding Collected in Slovenia: A Three-Year Study.

In recent years, the less-studied Alternaria mycotoxins have attracted increasing interest due to the lack of survey data and their ability to cause toxic effects in animals and humans. To fill the gap, the aim of this three-year survey was to investigate the presence and co-occurrence of Alternaria and other mycotoxins in a total of 433 cereal grain samples from Slovenian farms and agricultural cooperatives from 2014 to 2016. Using the multi-mycotoxin method, 14 mycotoxins were determined. In 53% of 433 analysed samples, contamination with at least one mycotoxin was found. Deoxynivalenol (DON) and tenuazonic acid (TeA) were present in 32% and 26% of cereal grain samples, respectively, whereas alternariol (AOH), tentoxin (TEN), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3- and 15-AcDON), and zearalenone (ZEN) were present in fewer than 15% of the samples. Ochratoxin A (OTA) was found in one rye sample, while diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), HT-2 and T-2 toxin, and fumonisins B1 and B2 (FB1 and FB2) were not detected. The highest maximum and median concentrations of Alternaria toxins were determined in spelt in 2016 (TeA, 2277 µg/kg and 203 µg/kg, respectively), and those of Fusarium toxins in wheat in 2015 (DON, 4082 µg/kg and 387 µg/kg, respectively). The co-occurrence of two or more mycotoxins was found in 43% of the positive samples. The correlations between Alternaria toxins were very weak but statistically significant (r: 0.15-0.17, p: 0.0042-0.0165). A well-known correlation between Fusarium toxins DON and ZEN was weak and highly significant (r = 0.28, p < 0.0001).

Prevalence, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes from Raw Beef and Slaughterhouse Environments in Korea.

The prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in raw beef and in slaughterhouse environments was investigated from April 2019 to February 2020. Three hundred raw beef samples were purchased from 50 retailers and 10 restaurants (5 samples per source). One hundred and thirty-four samples from slaughterhouse environments were collected by swabbing (10 × 10 cm) the surfaces, gloves, splitting saw, and drains. L. monocytogenes was detected and identified according to the method described in ISO 11290-1, and confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing. L. monocytogenes was detected in raw beef (2/300, 0.7%), gloves used in carcass splitting (6/21, 28.6%), the splitting saw (1/18, 5.6%), and the drain zone (1/15, 6.7%). All isolates were serotype 1/2a or 1/2c, based on screening using multiplex PCR-based serogrouping assay and serotyping kit for O-H antigens. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) following ApaI digestion of eight PFGE pulsotypes and four PFGE groups were identified. Biofilm formation analysis using Crystal Violet staining revealed the highest biofilm formation in strain LM-16, followed by D190613. Although L. monocytogenes isolates were susceptible to most antimicrobials, some resistance to penicillin (8/15, 53.3%) and tetracycline (2/15, 13.3%) was observed. Through PFGE, G190426, G190829, and G200210 isolated from the same location in this study were genetically homologous similar to the LM-16 strain, previously isolated from beef carcass in 2006. These results suggest that LM-16 has been continuously present in biofilms in the slaughterhouse environments since 2006. Our study indicates that L. monocytogenes contamination in raw beef could consistently occur during beef processing in slaughterhouse environments through contact with gloves, splitting saws, and drains.

Evaluation of nutritional value and microbiological safety in commercial dog food.

In addition to properly balancing nutritional value in accordance with the needs of a dog, estimating the microbiological quality of dog food is crucial in providing healthy and safe foods. The aim of this study was to examine the quality of dry food for adult dogs, with particular reference to: (1) evaluating the nutritional value and compliance with nutritional guidelines for dogs, (2) comparing the nutritional value of dog foods, with particular emphasis on the division into cereal and cereal-free foods, and (3) evaluating their microbiological safety. All thirty-six evaluated dry dog foods met the minimum European Pet Food Industry FEDIAF requirement for total protein and fat content. The total aerobic microbial count in the analyzed dry dog foods ranged from 2.7 × 102 to above 3.0 × 107 cfu/g. In five (14%) dog foods the presence of staphylococci was detected; however, coagulase positive Staphylococcus (CPS) was not found. Mold presence was reported in one cereal-free dog food and in six cereal foods. In none of the analyzed foods Enterobacteriaceae were found, including coliforms, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. Bacteria of the genus Listeria and Clostridium as well as yeasts were also not detected. In conclusion, the evaluated dry dog foods had varied microbiological quality. The detected number of microorganisms may have some implications for long-term consumption of contaminated food. The lack of European Commission standards regarding the permissible amounts of microorganisms in pet food may result in insufficient quality control of these products.

Prevalence, Serovar, and Antimicrobial Resistance of Nontyphoidal Salmonella in Vegetable, Fruit, and Water Samples in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

In this study, we investigated the prevalence, serovar distribution, and antimicrobial resistance pattern of Salmonella isolates from vegetable, fruit, and water samples in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Salmonella was detected in 75% (30/40), 57.1% (12/21), 17.5% (28/160), and 2.5% (1/40) of river water, irrigation water, vegetable, and ice water samples, respectively. However, no Salmonella was isolated from 160 fruit and 40 tap water samples examined. A total of 102 isolates obtained from 71 samples belonged to 34 different serovars, of which Salmonella Rissen was the most prevalent, followed by Salmonella London, Salmonella Hvittingfoss, and Salmonella Weltevreden. Certain Salmonella serovars such as Newport, Rissen, and Weltevreden were isolated from both vegetable and water samples. Antimicrobial resistance was most commonly observed against tetracycline (35.3%), followed by chloramphenicol (34.3%), ampicillin (31.4%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (23.5%), and nalidixic acid (10.8%). Of 102 isolates analyzed, 52 (51%) showed resistance to at least 1 antimicrobial class whereas 27 (26.5%) showed multidrug resistant (MDR) phenotype, being resistant to at least three different classes of antimicrobials. Determination of the presence and type of ß-lactamase genes showed the cooccurrence of blaTEM-1 and blaCMY-2 in one Salmonella Agona isolate from a river water sample. Taken together, these data indicated that both environmental water and vegetables were contaminated with Salmonella, including MDR strains, and that environmental water used in irrigation might have been the source of Salmonella contamination in the vegetables.

An Investigation on the Occurrence and Molecular Characterization of Bacillus cereus in Meat and Meat Products in China.

Bacillus cereus is a common foodborne pathogen that can cause both gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal diseases. In this study, we collected 603 meat and meat products from 39 major cities in China. The positive contamination rate of B. cereus in the collected samples was 26.37% (159/603), and the contamination level in 5.03% (8/159) positive samples exceeded 1100 most probable number/g. The detection rates of virulence genes were 89.7% for the nheABC gene group, 37.1% for the hblACD gene cluster, 82.3% for cytK-2, and 2.9% for cesB. Notably, all isolates presented with multiple antibiotic resistance, and 99.43% of isolates were resistant to five classes of antibiotics. In addition, the multilocus sequence typing results indicated that all isolates were rich in genetic diversity. Collectively, we conducted a systematic investigation on the prevalence and characterization of B. cereus in meat and meat products in China, providing crucial information for assessing the risk of B. cereus occurrence in meat and meat products.

Nationwide Surveillance on Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Major Food Animal Carcasses in South Korea During 2010-2018.

Contamination of meat with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria represents a major public health threat worldwide. In this study, we determined the antimicrobial resistance profiles and resistance trends of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from major food animal carcasses (408 cattle, 1196 pig, and 1312 chicken carcass isolates) in Korea from 2010 to 2018. Approximately 75%, 92%, and 77% of cattle, pig, and chicken carcass isolates, respectively, were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent. Resistance to penicillin (62.1%) was the highest, followed by resistance to tetracycline (42.1%) and erythromycin (28.2%). About 30% of pig and chicken isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin. We observed linezolid resistance only in pig isolates (2.3%). However, all S. aureus isolates were sensitive to rifampin and vancomycin. We noted an increasing but fluctuating trend of kanamycin and penicillin resistance in cattle isolates. Similarly, the chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim resistance rates were increased but fluctuated through time in pig isolates. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) accounted for 5%, 8%, and 9% of the cattle, pig, and chicken isolates, respectively. The MRSA strains exhibited significantly high resistance rates to most of the tested antimicrobials, including ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and tetracycline compared with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains. Notably, a relatively high percentage of MRSA strains (5.2%) recovered from pig carcasses were resistant to linezolid compared with MSSA strains (2.1%). In addition, almost 37% of the isolates were multi-drug resistant. S. aureus isolates recovered from major food animal carcasses in Korea exhibited resistance to clinically important antimicrobials, posing a public health risk.

Global Prevalence of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in Food of Animal Origin: A Meta-Analysis.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are a leading cause of nosocomial infections in patients worldwide. VRE contamination in food of animal origin may create a risk for human health. This study was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence of VRE in food of animal origin worldwide, to assess the result heterogeneity, and to determine cumulative evidence and the trend of the prevalence over time. Relevant studies were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled prevalence of VRE in food of animal origin. Subgroup meta-analysis was used to assess the heterogeneity of the results. A cumulative meta-analysis and meta-regression were conducted to determine cumulative evidence and the trend of the prevalence of VRE in food of animal origin over time, respectively. Of the 1352 retrieved studies, 50 articles were included. The pooled prevalence of VRE in food of animal origin was 11.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 8.4 to 16.0). Subgroup meta-analyses showed a significant difference in the prevalence of VRE for two characteristics. First, for the source of food, the prevalence of VRE was highest in aquatic food (43.4% [95% CI = 28.4 to 59.7]) and lowest in dairy food (4.1% [95% CI = 1.7 to 9.8]). Second, for continents, the prevalence of VRE was highest in Africa (18.5% [95% CI = 12.8 to 26.1]) and lowest in North America (0.3% [95% CI = 0.1 to 1.1]). Cumulative evidence showed two distinct features in two different periods. The pooled prevalence of VRE rapidly decreased from 79.3% in 1998 to 13.1% in 2003; it has slightly fluctuated between 10.5% and 20.5% since 2004. The results of the meta-regression indicated that the prevalence gradually decreased over time. In conclusion, the estimate of overall VRE prevalence worldwide in food of animal origin was ∼12%, indicating the burden of VRE contamination in food of animal origin.

Prevalence, Characterization, and Control of Campylobacter jejuni Isolated from Raw Milk, Cheese, and Human Stool Samples in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt.

Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from raw milk, cheese, and human stool samples in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt, and to characterize the antibiotic resistance profile and virulence genes of the isolates. An additional objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of cinnamon oil and Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 for controlling C. jejuni in cheese. A total of 200 samples of raw milk and dairy products, including 50 samples of raw milk and 150 samples of three different types of cheese were used. Fifty-three human stool samples were also collected. The samples were tested for the presence of C. jejuni using culture and molecular methods. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 9.5% (19/200) of the raw milk and cheese samples. The highest prevalence was observed in milk samples (18%), followed by Kareish cheese (14%) and Talaga cheese (6%). In contrast, C. jejuni was not found in any of the Feta cheese samples. Of the human stool samples, 21 (39.6%) were positive for C. jejuni. Of the isolates, 60-90% were highly resistant to the antimicrobial agents tested, that is, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline. Virulent cadF and cdtA genes were detected in all isolates. As milk and dairy products are important sources of contamination, reducing the level of C. jejuni in them will lower the risk to consumers. We showed that L. acidophilus La5 was able to control C. jejuni in Kareish cheese, but cinnamon oil was less effective.

Prevalence and Survival of Stenotrophomonas Species in Milk and Dairy Products in Egypt.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a nosocomial, multidrug-resistant pathogen that causes significant economic losses in milk production and deterioration of dairy product quality. This study investigates the prevalence and the survival of S. maltophilia under different food preservation conditions. A total of 240 samples, including farm-sourced milk, dairy shop purchased milk, Kareish cheese, Domiati cheese, ice cream, yoghurt, cooking butter, and unpasteurized cream were collected from various locations in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt. Thirty samples of each product were analyzed by standard biochemical tests for the presence of Stenotrophomonas spp., which was isolated from 36% (87/240) of the examined samples. The highest prevalence was observed in ice cream (80%), followed by unpasteurized cream (67%), whereas the lowest incidence was in Domiati cheese (3.3%). S. maltophilia, identified by PCR, was found only in unpasteurized cream (13%), cooking butter (10%), ice cream (6.7%), and dairy shop milk (3.3%). We also studied the viability of S. maltophilia in laboratory manufactured cream, butter, and cheese under different preservation conditions. S. maltophilia was able to survive for 30, 30, 28, 30, and 8 d in the inoculated cream, butter 0% salt, butter 3% salt, cheese 0% salt, and cheese 6% salt, respectively. Thus, S. maltophilia was able to survive more than predicted in all products in this study. This suggests that strains of S. maltophilia may develop adaptive strategies that enable survival under different food preservation conditions, which contradicts previous knowledge about the sensitivity of this microbe to environmental stress conditions. Our overall aim was to draw attention to the prevalence and future potential for increased public health significance of Stenotrophomonas spp.

Salmonella prevalence and persistence in industrialized poultry slaughterhouses.

Salmonella contamination sources and transmission routes were studied in 5 Belgian poultry slaughterhouses. Samples from the slaughter and cutting line after cleaning and disinfection were collected, as well as neck skin samples and thighs during slaughter of the first flock. In total, 680 swab and water samples were taken from the slaughter line before slaughter. In all slaughterhouses, Salmonella was notwithstanding cleaning and disinfection still isolated from the slaughter line before start of activities. The prevalence of Salmonella in the plucking area was 10.4% (38/365) (hanging area: 5.0%, scalding tank: 5.8%, plucking machine: 17.0%); in the evisceration room, 1.5% (2/138); and in the cutting area, 2.0% (3/149). No Salmonella (0/28) was found in samples from the chilling line. On neck skin samples taken from the various lines, Salmonella prevalence was 16.1% (48/299) after plucking, 16.0% (48/300) after evisceration, 23.3% (70/300) after chilling; on thighs, prevalence was 10.0% (24/240). Nine Salmonella serotypes were identified of which Salmonella Infantis was the most common serovar (53.8%), especially in slaughterhouse A. Two contamination causes were identified; first, although all flocks had an official Salmonella negative status, this was in one case incorrect and led to an enormous contamination of the neck skins of the flock and the slaughterline (i.e., cooling water). Second, molecular typing revealed cross-contamination from flocks slaughtered 1 d before sampling. Salmonella was apparently not always eliminated by the cleaning and disinfection process and able to contaminate the carcasses of the first slaughtered flock. In conclusion, the results of this study provided practical insights for poultry production to further improve their Salmonella control, for example, Salmonella status determination closer to the slaughter date, to adapt cleaning and disinfection protocols especially for critical machinery and better hygienic designed equipment.

Epidemiological Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes Infections in Pavia Province in 2017 Reveals the Presence of Multiple Concurrently Circulating Strains.

Consumption of raw food, especially smoked fish, meat, soft cheeses, and vegetables, contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, which can be invasive in pregnant women, elderly, and immunocompromised and diabetic patients. Through June to November of 2017, 11 patients developed invasive listeriosis in a small area of northern Italy. In the same period, 15 food samples (ready-to-eat seafood, raw vegetables, cheese samples, and salami) collected during the routine screening programs in the same area were found to be contaminated with L. monocytogenes. We characterized the isolates to determine the relatedness of L. monocytogenes strains isolated from patients and isolates from food samples and food-processing plants. Whole genome sequencing analysis showed that multiple L. monocytogenes strains were circulating in the area and no association was found between clinical and food isolates.

Prevalence and Population Analysis of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Isolated from Freshwater Fish in Zhejiang Province, China.

Objectives: The previous researches revealed that Vibrio parahaemolyticus has been detected in freshwater fish samples. However, the molecular characteristics of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from freshwater fish, including pathogenic and pandemic strains, are still unknown. This study aims to characterize and identify molecular properties of the bacterium. In addition, it identifies the source of V. parahaemolyticus from freshwater fish samples in Zhejiang Province, China. Methods: Four hundred and twenty-one freshwater fish samples (from fishing farms, retail markets, and restaurants) and 212 seafood samples (from retail markets) were collected in 10 cities of Zhejiang Province. V. parahaemolyticus strains were isolated from these samples and comparatively analyzed by multilocus sequence typing, serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility test, and polymerase chain reaction, targeting common toxin genes (tdh, trh) and markers for pandemic strains (orf8, toxRS/new). Results: Sixty-eight V. parahaemolyticus strains were isolated from the 421 freshwater fish samples, and 89 V. parahaemolyticus isolates were identified out of 212 seafood samples. The detection rate of V. parahaemolyticus was significantly different (p < 0.05) between the fishing farms, the retail markets, and the restaurants. The isolates from freshwater fish samples were divided into eight O serotypes with three O3:K6 isolates, which contain three pandemic complexes (tdh+, orf8+, toxRS/new+). A total of 53 different sequence types (STs) were identified among the 68 isolates, including 28 novel STs. Antimicrobial susceptibility results indicated that 76.5% of the strains were resistant to ampicillin. A third (3/9) of the isolates from fishing farm sources shared the same STs with their counterparts from retail markets. Compared with the isolates from the seafood samples collected in the same sampling sites, 13.2% (9/68) freshwater fish isolates overlapped with seafood isolates. Conclusions: Our study showed that V. parahaemolyticus population in freshwater fish is genetically diverse. The V. parahaemolyticus contaminates might have come from both fishing farm sources and cross-contamination from seafood in the closed area at the markets. Freshwater fish may work as a reservoir of pathogenic and pandemic V. parahaemolyticus isolates, indicating potential public health and food safety risks associated with the consumption of freshwater fish.