-
Food Science & Nutrition May 2024In this study, to investigate spp. contamination post-scalding and de-feathering, post-evisceration, post-chilling, and packaged products, which are the most essential...
In this study, to investigate spp. contamination post-scalding and de-feathering, post-evisceration, post-chilling, and packaged products, which are the most essential contamination stages of broiler slaughter, a total of 108 samples were taken from three different broiler slaughterhouses at different times. Isolates obtained by cultural methods in 104 of 108 samples were analyzed by mPCR method to identify pathogen spp. , , and mixed contamination of both species were detected in 51 samples. Of the 51 isolates, 27 (52.9%) were , 16 (31.4%) were , and 8 (15.7%) were mixed contamination of and , while was not detected. and contamination was 59.2% post-scalding and de-feathering, 43.4% post-evisceration, 44.4% and 48.1% post-chilling and in packaged products, respectively. All strains were found to be 100% resistant to cefoperazone and penicillin and sensitive to tetracycline. strains were 100% resistant to cefoperazone, penicillin, and cloxacillin and susceptible to tetracycline and erythromycin. In the study, it was determined that spp. caused a very intense contamination (85.18%-100%) and also contamination rates of identified pathogen strains ( and ) were very high (59.2% and 43.4%) in broiler slaughtering stages. Considering that each step in broiler slaughter could contaminate the next stage, developing a safe slaughter and minimizing the risk toward the final product, it was concluded that critical control points could not be well managed in broiler slaughterhouses, and broiler meat may pose a significant risk to public health.
PubMed: 38726459
DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.4013 -
Gut Pathogens Dec 2023Arcobacter species are considered emerging foodborne pathogens that can potentially cause serious infections in animals and humans. This cross-sectional study determined...
Antibiotic-Resistant Arcobacter spp. in commercial and smallholder farm animals in Asante Akim North Municipality, Ghana and Korogwe Town Council, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
Arcobacter species are considered emerging foodborne pathogens that can potentially cause serious infections in animals and humans. This cross-sectional study determined the frequency of potentially pathogenic Arcobacter spp. in both commercial and smallholder farm animals in Ghana and Tanzania. A total of 1585 and 1047 (poultry and livestock) samples were collected in Ghana and Tanzania, respectively. Selective enrichment media, along with oxidase and Gram testing, were employed for isolation of suspected Arcobacter spp. and confirmation was done using MALDI-TOF MS. Antibiotic susceptibility was assessed through disk diffusion method and ECOFFs were generated, for interpretation, based on resulting inhibition zone diameters.
RESULTS
The overall Arcobacter frequency was higher in Ghana (7.0%, n = 111) than in Tanzania (2.0%, n = 21). The frequency of Arcobacter in commercial farms in Ghana was 10.3% (n/N = 83/805), while in Tanzania, it was 2.8% (n/N = 12/430). Arcobacter was detected in only 3.6% (n/N = 28/780) of the samples from smallholder farms in Ghana and 1.5% (n/N = 9/617) of the samples from Tanzania. For commercial farms, in Ghana, the presence of Arcobacter was more abundant in pigs (45.1%, n/N = 37/82), followed by ducks (38.5%, n/N = 10/26) and quails (35.7%, n/N = 10/28). According to MALDI-TOF-based species identification, Arcobacter butzleri (91.6%, n/N = 121/132), Arcobacter lanthieri (6.1%, n/N = 8/132), and Arcobacter cryaerophilus (2.3%, n/N = 3/132) were the only three Arcobacter species detected at both study sites. Almost all of the Arcobacter from Ghana (98.2%, n/N = 109/111) were isolated during the rainy season. The inhibition zone diameters recorded for penicillin, ampicillin, and chloramphenicol allowed no determination of an epidemiological cut-off value. However, the results indicated a general resistance to these three antimicrobials. Multidrug resistance was noted in 57.1% (n/N = 12/21) of the Arcobacter isolates from Tanzania and 45.0% (n/N = 50/111) of those from Ghana. The type of farm (commercial or smallholder) and source of the sample (poultry or livestock) were found to be associated with multi-drug resistance.
CONCLUSIONS
The high levels of MDR Arcobacter detected from farms in both countries call for urgent attention and comprehensive strategies to mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance in these pathogens.
PubMed: 38042805
DOI: 10.1186/s13099-023-00588-3 -
Journal of Food Protection Mar 2023Arcobacters are emerging pathogens that have been underestimated due to a lack of a standardized isolation method. The aim of this research was to evaluate the ability...
Arcobacters are emerging pathogens that have been underestimated due to a lack of a standardized isolation method. The aim of this research was to evaluate the ability to isolate Arcobacter butzleri, Arcobacter cryaerophilus, and Arcobacter skirrowii using two Arcobacter-specific culture detection systems: (i) the Houf broth and modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar supplemented with cefoperazone, amphotericin B, and teicoplanin (HB/mCCDA+CAT), and (ii) the Nguyen-Restaino-Juárez Arcobacter enrichment broth and chromogenic agar (NRJ-B/M). Both detection systems were evaluated for productivity ratio, sensitivity, and specificity. As a result, the productivity ratio for both plating agars were >90%, which indicates that the selective agents used in the two plating agars did not inhibit Arcobacter growth. Moreover, sensitivity evaluations using artificially inoculated retail ground poultry (n = 780) determined that both detection systems were able to isolate A. butlzeri with >95% sensitivity at the 0.1 and 1.0-2.0 CFU/g detection level. The sensitivity in A. cryaerophilus isolation was higher for NRJ-B/M (78.0% at 0.1 CFU/g; 95.1% at 1.0-2.0 CFU/g) when compared with HB/mCCDA+CAT (34.1% at 0.1 CFU/g; 51.2% at 1.0-2.0 CFU/g). Both detection systems resulted in <50% sensitivity when isolating A. skirrowii at 0.1 and 1.0-2.0 CFU/g; however, the sensitivity for NRJ-B/M was significantly higher than HB/mCCDA+CAT. At the detection level of 5.0 CFU/g, both detection systems were able to isolate A. skirrowii with 100% sensitivity. Specificity comparisons using uninoculated ground poultry samples (n = 40) indicated the growth of background microbiota were significantly inhibited or could be easily differentiated on NRJ-B/M (90.0%, specificity) when compared with HB/mCCDA+CAT (30.0%, specificity). Overall, these results show that the NRJ-B/M detection system is a more sensitive and specific detection system when isolating Arcobacter spp. from ground chicken.
Topics: Animals; Poultry; Arcobacter; Agar; Cefoperazone
PubMed: 36916562
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2023.100057 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022spp. is a globally emerging zoonotic and foodborne pathogen. However, little is known about its prevalence and antimicrobial resistance in China. To investigate the...
spp. is a globally emerging zoonotic and foodborne pathogen. However, little is known about its prevalence and antimicrobial resistance in China. To investigate the prevalence of spp. isolated from various sources, 396 samples were collected from human feces, chicken cecum, and food specimens including chicken meat, beef, pork, lettuce, and seafood. spp. was isolated by the membrane filtration method. For 92 strains, the agar dilution method and next-generation sequencing were used to investigate their antimicrobial resistance and to obtain whole genome data, respectively. The virulence factor database (VFDB) was queried to identify virulence genes. ResFinder and the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) were used to predict resistance genes. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the maximum likelihood (ML) method with core single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We found that 27.5% of the samples ( = 109) were positive for spp., comprising (53.0%), (39.6%), and (7.4%). Chicken meat had the highest prevalence (81.2%), followed by seafood (51.9%), pork (43.3%), beef (36.7%), lettuce (35.5%), chicken cecum (8%), and human fecal samples (0%, 0/159). Antimicrobial susceptibility tests revealed that 51 and 40 strains were resistant to streptomycin (98.1, 70%), clindamycin (94.1, 90%), tetracycline (64.7, 52.5%), azithromycin (43.1%, 15%), nalidixic acid (33.4, 35%), and ciprofloxacin (31.3, 35%) but were susceptible to erythromycin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, telithromycin, and clindamycin (≤10%). was sensitive to all experimental antibiotics. The virulence factors A, , and were carried by all spp. strains at 100%, and the following percentages were (95.7%), (23.9%), 2.2%, and (1.1%). Only one strain (F061-2G) carried a macrolide resistance gene (). One and one harbored resistance island gene clusters, which were isolated from pork and chicken. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that , and were separated from each other. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation of spp. from vegetables and seafood in China. The resistance island gene cluster found in pork and chicken meat and the presence of virulence factors could be a potential risk to human health.
PubMed: 36532418
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1004224 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022The is a globally emerging foodborne and zoonotic pathogen that can cause diarrhea in humans. It is relatively homogenous and clearly distinguishes the group from other...
The is a globally emerging foodborne and zoonotic pathogen that can cause diarrhea in humans. It is relatively homogenous and clearly distinguishes the group from other . () is a heterogeneous species and little is known about its genomic characterization in China. This study aims to determine the genetic and plasmid features of based on whole-genome sequence (WGS). Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) and DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) were used for the species classification for 90 initially identified strains. One complete genome and 42 draft genomes were obtained by whole genome sequencing. The genomic characteristics were determined using various bioinformatics software. The genomes of the strains examined were estimated to vary from 1.81 to 2.28 Mb in length, with a G + C content of around 27%. ANI and DDH results indicated that 90 initially identified strains should be reclassified into four new species (ANI > 96% or DDH > 70%). Two clades (four subclades) were identified among 90 genomes with the phylogenetic analysis. The phylogenetic tree indicated these 90 genomes exhibited a high intra-species genomic diversity. No clustering was assorted with the host or geographic location among these genomes. Aminoglycoside resistance genes, such as , , , , and streptothricin resistance gene were detected in the chromosomes from a third of the Chinese strains. Virulence-related genes were identified in all the sequenced strains. A novel large multiple drug-resistant plasmid (named pCNAC48 with 161,992 bp in length) was identified in strain ICDCAC48. Two antibiotic-resistance islands were found in the plasmid with lengths of 7,950 and 25,137 bp and G + C content of 38.23 and 32.39%, respectively. The drug resistance genes and some transposable elements were cross-distributed among the islands in the plasmid. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests indicated these resistance genes in the plasmid were functional. Plasmid conjugation and curing experiments proved pCNAC48 was stable in strain ICDCAC48. It was the first identified multiple drug resistance plasmid in .
PubMed: 36212879
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.984450 -
Veterinary Medicine and Science Jul 2022Arcobacter spp. has been considered an emerging foodborne pathogen and a hazard to human health. The dairy chain has been isolated from different sources; nevertheless,...
BACKGROUND
Arcobacter spp. has been considered an emerging foodborne pathogen and a hazard to human health. The dairy chain has been isolated from different sources; nevertheless, data on Arcobacter occurrence in raw milk and dairy products in Iran are still scant.
OBJECTIVE
The present study investigates the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility and the presence of virulence genes of Arcobacters species isolated from milk and dairy products.
METHODS
Then, a total of 350 raw milk samples and 400 dairy product samples were collected from dairy supply centers in Isfahan, Iran. Presumptive Arcobacter strains were obtained by enriching samples in Oxoid Arcobacter enrichment broth (AEB) followed by the filtration of enrichment product through 0.45-μm pore size membrane filters laid onto non-selective blood at 30°C under microaerophilic conditions. Molecular identification of Arcobacter cryaerophilus and A. butzleri was performed by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the 16S rRNA gene, followed by sequencing. The disc diffusion method was used to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates. Targeted resistance and virulence genes were detected using multiplex PCR.
RESULTS
The results show a low recovery rate of Arcobacter spp. in milk. Arcobacters were found in all types of milk, except raw camel milk, but were absent from all dairy products. Arcobacter butzleri was the predominant species in raw milk. Detection of virulence genes shows that all virulence genes targeted were found among A. butzleri, and six (cadF, cj1349, irgA, mviN, pldA, tlyA) were found among A. cryaerophilus. All A. butzleri strains and some A. cryaerophilus strains isolated from milk were resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and tetracycline. All A. cryaerophilus isolates from milk were susceptible to gentamycin, streptomycin, erythromycin and ciprofloxacin. The distribution of resistance genes in Arcobacter strains in milk shows that all isolates carried tet(O) and bla genes.
CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, the results indicate a low recovery rate of Arcobacter spp. in milk and milk products. However, a significant number of Arcobacter strains with putative virulence genes may be potential pathogens for humans and an overall increase in Arcobacter resistance to first-line antibiotics. These results highlight the need for regular surveillance of Arcobacter strains in milk and milk products in Iran.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Arcobacter; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Genotype; Humans; Milk; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 35426255
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.800 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2021Coastal zones are exposed to various anthropogenic impacts, such as different types of wastewater pollution, e.g., treated wastewater discharges, leakage from sewage...
Coastal zones are exposed to various anthropogenic impacts, such as different types of wastewater pollution, e.g., treated wastewater discharges, leakage from sewage systems, and agricultural and urban runoff. These various inputs can introduce allochthonous organic matter and microbes, including pathogens, into the coastal marine environment. The presence of fecal bacterial indicators in the coastal environment is usually monitored using traditional culture-based methods that, however, fail to detect their uncultured representatives. We have conducted a year-around survey of the pelagic microbiome of the dynamic coastal ecosystem, subjected to different anthropogenic pressures to depict the seasonal and spatial dynamics of traditional and alternative fecal bacterial indicators. To provide an insight into the environmental conditions under which bacterial indicators thrive, a suite of environmental factors and bacterial community dynamics were analyzed concurrently. Analyses of 16S rRNA amplicon sequences revealed that the coastal microbiome was primarily structured by seasonal changes regardless of the distance from the wastewater pollution sources. On the other hand, fecal bacterial indicators were not affected by seasons and accounted for up to 34% of the sequence proportion for a given sample. Even more so, traditional fecal indicator bacteria () and alternative wastewater-associated bacteria (, , and ) were part of the core coastal microbiome, i.e., present at all sampling stations. Microbial source tracking and Lagrangian particle tracking, which we employed to assess the potential pollution source, revealed the importance of riverine water as a vector for transmission of allochthonous microbes into the marine system. Further phylogenetic analysis showed that the in our data set was affiliated with the pathogenic , suggesting that a potential exposure risk for bacterial pathogens in anthropogenically impacted coastal zones remains. We emphasize that molecular analyses combined with statistical and oceanographic models may provide new insights for environmental health assessment and reveal the potential source and presence of microbial indicators, which are otherwise overlooked by a cultivation approach.
PubMed: 35111137
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.765091 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Nov 2021Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as plasmids or integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) are widely involved in the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistant genes...
Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as plasmids or integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) are widely involved in the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs), but their environmental host-range and reservoirs remain poorly known, as mainly assessed through the analysis of culturable and clinical bacterial isolates. In this study, we used a gradual approach for determining the environmental abundance and host-range of ICEs belonging to the SXT/R391 family, otherwise well known to bring ARGs in Vibrio spp. epidemic clones and other pathogens. First, by screening a set of aquatic bacteria libraries covering 1794 strains, we found that almost 1% of the isolates hosted an SXT/R391 element, all belonging to a narrow group of non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae. However, when SXT/R391 ICEs were then quantified in various aquatic communities, they appeared to be ubiquitous and relatively abundant, from 10 to 10 ICE copies per 16 S rDNA. Finally, the molecular exploration of the SXT/R391 host-range in two river ecosystems impacted by anthropogenic activities, using the single-cell genomic approach epicPCR, revealed several new SXT/R391 hosts mostly in the Proteobacteria phylum. Some, such as the pathogen Arcobacter cryaerophilus (Campylobacteraceae), have only been encountered in discharged treated wastewaters and downstream river waters, thus revealing a likely anthropogenic origin. Others, such as the non-pathogenic bacterium Neptunomonas acidivorans (Oceanospirillaceae), were solely identified in rivers waters upstream and downstream the treated wastewaters discharge points and may intrinsically belong to the SXT/R391 environmental reservoir. This work points out that not only the ICEs of the SXT/R391 family are more abundant in the environment than anticipated, but also that a variety of unsuspected hosts may well represent a missing link in the environmental dissemination of MGEs from and to bacteria of anthropogenic origin.
Topics: Arcobacter; Conjugation, Genetic; Ecosystem; Host Specificity; Oceanospirillaceae
PubMed: 34218080
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117673 -
Italian Journal of Food Safety Mar 2021Given that the number of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to the consumption of ready-to-eat vegetables has been widely documented and considering that data on the...
Given that the number of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to the consumption of ready-to-eat vegetables has been widely documented and considering that data on the occurrence of spp. in such foodstuffs are lacking, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of spp. and the occurrence of virulence factors as well as to genotype spp. in ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable samples, using cultural and biomolecular assays. spp. was detected in 16/110 (14.5%) samples, with being detected in 15/16 and in 1/16 isolates. PCRs aimed at the nine putative virulence genes demonstrated widespread distribution of such genes among and isolates. In addition, multilocus sequence type (MLST) analysis revealed a low genetic diversity within the arcobacters isolates. The results underline the need to develop an appropriate surveillance system based on biomolecular characterization for an integrated microbiological risk assessment of ready-toeat vegetables, and consequently of composite foods.
PubMed: 33907683
DOI: 10.4081/ijfs.2021.8585 -
PloS One 2021The Rimac river is the main source of water for Lima, Peru's capital megacity. The river is constantly affected by different types of contamination including mine...
The Rimac river is the main source of water for Lima, Peru's capital megacity. The river is constantly affected by different types of contamination including mine tailings in the Andes and urban sewage in the metropolitan area. In this work, we aim to produce the first characterization of aquatic bacterial communities in the Rimac river using a 16S rRNA metabarcoding approach which would be useful to identify bacterial diversity and potential understudied pathogens. We report a lower diversity in bacterial communities from the Lower Rimac (Metropolitan zone) in comparison to other sub-basins. Samples were generally grouped according to their geographical location. Bacterial classes Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidia, Campylobacteria, Fusobacteriia, and Gammaproteobacteria were the most frequent along the river. Arcobacter cryaerophilus (Campylobacteria) was the most frequent species in the Lower Rimac while Flavobacterium succinicans (Bacteroidia) and Hypnocyclicus (Fusobacteriia) were the most predominant in the Upper Rimac. Predicted metabolic functions in the microbiota include bacterial motility and quorum sensing. Additional metabolomic analyses showed the presence of some insecticides and herbicides in the Parac-Upper Rimac and Santa Eulalia-Parac sub-basins. The dominance in the Metropolitan area of Arcobacter cryaerophilus, an emergent pathogen associated with fecal contamination and antibiotic multiresistance, that is not usually reported in traditional microbiological quality assessments, highlights the necessity to apply next-generation sequencing tools to improve pathogen surveillance. We believe that our study will encourage the integration of omics sciences in Peru and its application on current environmental and public health issues.
Topics: Aquatic Organisms; Arcobacter; Computational Biology; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; Environmental Monitoring; Flavobacterium; Fusobacteria; Microbiota; Peru; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Rivers; Sewage; Water; Water Microbiology; Water Pollution
PubMed: 33886647
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250401