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Water Research Mar 2021Plastic pollution in aquatic environments, particularly microplastics (<5 mm), is an emerging health threat. The buoyancy, hydrophobic hard surfaces, novel polymer...
Plastic pollution in aquatic environments, particularly microplastics (<5 mm), is an emerging health threat. The buoyancy, hydrophobic hard surfaces, novel polymer carbon sources and long-distance transport make microplastics a unique substrate for biofilms, potentially harbouring pathogens and enabling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) gene exchange. Microplastic concentrations, their polymer types and the associated microbial communities were determined in paired, contemporaneous samples from the Dutch portion of the river Rhine. Microplastics were collected through a cascade of 500/100/10 μm sieves; filtrates and surface water were also analysed. Microplastics were characterized with infrared spectroscopy. Microbial communities and selected virulence and AMR genes were determined with 16S rRNA-sequencing and qPCR. Average microplastic concentration was 213,147 particles/m; polyamide and polyvinylchloride were the most abundant polymers. Microbial composition on 100-500 μm samples differed significantly from surface water and 10-100 μm or smaller samples, with lower microbial diversity compared to surface water. An increasingly 'water-like' microbial community was observed as particles became smaller. Associations amongst specific microbial taxa, polymer types and particle sizes, as well as seasonal and methodological effects, were also observed. Known biofilm-forming and plastic-degrading taxa (e.g. Pseudomonas) and taxa harbouring potential pathogens (Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Arcobacter) were enriched in certain sample types, and other risk-conferring signatures like the sul1 and erm(B) AMR genes were almost ubiquitous. Results were generally compatible with the existence of taxon-selecting mechanisms and reduced microbial diversity in the biofilms of plastic substrates, varying over seasons, polymer types and particle sizes. This study provided updated field data and insights on microplastic pollution in a major riverine environment.
Topics: Environmental Monitoring; Microbiota; Microplastics; Netherlands; Plastics; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 33517045
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.116852 -
Journal of Applied Microbiology Oct 2017The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence, diversity and resistance to antibiotics of Arcobacter sp. in a dairy plant samples.
AIMS
The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence, diversity and resistance to antibiotics of Arcobacter sp. in a dairy plant samples.
METHODS AND RESULTS
A total of 75 samples from dairy plant surfaces and materials and several food products collected in different steps of the cheese production process were analysed by culture, under aerobic and microaerobic atmospheric conditions, and by enrichment molecular detection. Isolates were identified and genotyped by ERIC-PCR, and their susceptibility to nine antibiotics was evaluated by agar dilution. Global prevalence of Arcobacter sp. was 42·7%, where 20 of the 42 food samples analysed were positive for A. butzleri by both culture and molecular detection, one for A. marinus by culture and one for A. cryaerophilus by molecular detection only; 10 of the 30 analysed materials and plant surfaces were positive for A. butzleri. All A. butzleri isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid and showed high resistance rates to ampicillin (56·2%) and cefotaxime (97·9%), being all strains susceptible to gentamicin and erythromycin.
CONCLUSIONS
Contamination of dairy plant environment with A. butzleri and its progression along cheese production process were observed, however, the cheese ripening process may have a relevant role in the reduction of the contamination.
SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY
This study showed the presence of Arcobacter sp. in a dairy plant, displaying its high prevalence and genetic diversity and highlighting its high resistance rates. The data obtained could contribute to further acknowledge the Arcobacter food contamination as a potential health hazard.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Arcobacter; Cheese; Dairying; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Food Contamination; Food Microbiology; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Polymerase Chain Reaction
PubMed: 28712149
DOI: 10.1111/jam.13538 -
Journal of Dairy Science Oct 2015Ricotta cheese is a ready-to-eat product with properties (pH >6.0, aw >0.98-0.99) and moisture content (75-80%) that may pose a risk to public health due to postprocess...
Ricotta cheese is a ready-to-eat product with properties (pH >6.0, aw >0.98-0.99) and moisture content (75-80%) that may pose a risk to public health due to postprocess contamination by several bacterial pathogens, including Arcobacters. The objective of the study was to evaluate the behavior of Arcobacter butzleri and Arcobacter cryaerophilus in ricotta cheese during its shelf life assuming postprocessing contamination. Two types of ricotta cheese, artisanal water buffalo (WB) and industrial cow milk ricotta cheese, were experimentally contaminated with A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus and the count was monitored at 2 different temperatures (6°C and 12°C) during shelf life of 5 d for WB cheese and 22 d for industrial ricotta cheese. In WB ricotta cheese the A. butzleri count remained stable during the 5 d of storage at 6°C, whereas a moderate but significant decrease was observed in A. cryaerophilus count. The counts of both species increased when WB ricotta cheese was stored at 12°C. In industrial ricotta cheese stored at 6°C, a significant reduction was observed both in A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus counts during the 22-d storage period; at 12°C storage, a count increase was observed for both Arcobacter species up to d 14 of storage after which the log cfu/g count resulted constant until d 22 of storage. The ability of A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus to survive at 6°C and to grow at 12°C in ricotta cheese has significant food safety implications.
Topics: Animals; Arcobacter; Buffaloes; Cattle; Cheese; Food Microbiology; Food Safety; Species Specificity; Temperature
PubMed: 26233450
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2015-9560 -
Current Opinion in Biotechnology Jun 2019Modern urban sewer pipe infrastructure is a unique niche where microbes can thrive. Arcobacter, Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, and Trichococcus are among the organisms that... (Review)
Review
Modern urban sewer pipe infrastructure is a unique niche where microbes can thrive. Arcobacter, Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, and Trichococcus are among the organisms that dominate the microbial community of sewage influent, but are not major members of human fecal microbiome, drinking water, or groundwater. Pipe resident communities in untreated sewage are distinct from sewer biofilm communities. Because of their high biomass, these organisms likely have a role in biotransformation of waste during conveyance and could represent an important inoculum for treatment plants. Studies demonstrate stormwater systems act as direct conduits for sewage to surface waters, releasing organisms propagated in sewer pipes. Frequent occurrence of these pipe residents, in particular Arcobacter, demonstrates the extent that urban infrastructure impacts rivers, lakes, and urban coasts worldwide.
Topics: Ecosystem; Feces; Groundwater; Humans; Microbiota; Sewage; Water Microbiology
PubMed: 30682717
DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2018.12.010 -
Journal of Dairy Science May 2013The objectives of this study were to investigate the presence of Campylobacter spp. and Arcobacter spp. in dairy herds authorized for the production and sale of raw milk...
The objectives of this study were to investigate the presence of Campylobacter spp. and Arcobacter spp. in dairy herds authorized for the production and sale of raw milk and in a water buffalo dairy farm, and to test the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. A total of 196 in-line milk filters were collected from 14 dairy farms (13 bovine and 1 water buffalo) for detection of Campylobacter spp. and Arcobacter spp. by microbiological culture. For each farm investigated, 1 isolate for each Campylobacter and Arcobacter species isolated was tested using the Etest method (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden) to evaluate the susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, erythromycin, and gentamicin. A total of 52 isolates were detected in 49 milk filters in 12 farms (85.7%) out of 14 and the isolates were identified as Campylobacter jejuni (6), Campylobacter hyointestinalis ssp. hyointestinalis (8), Campylobacter concisus (1), Campylobacter fetus ssp. fetus (1), Arcobacter butzleri (22), and Arcobacter cryaerophilus (14). The small number of isolates tested for antimicrobial susceptibility precludes any epidemiological consideration but highlights that all Campylobacter isolates were susceptible to macrolides, which are the first-choice drugs for the treatment of campylobacteriosis, and that resistance to fluoroquinolones and tetracycline was detected; for Arcobacter isolates, resistance to ampicillin and chloramphenicol was detected. The sale of raw milk for human consumption by self-service automatic vending machines has been allowed in Italy since 2004 and the presence of C. jejuni in in-line milk filters confirms that raw milk consumption is a significant risk factor for human infection. The high occurrence of emerging Campylobacter spp. and Arcobacter spp. discovered in dairy farms authorized for production and sale of raw milk represents an emerging hazard for human health.
Topics: Animal Husbandry; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Arcobacter; Buffaloes; Campylobacter; Campylobacter fetus; Campylobacter hyointestinalis; Campylobacter jejuni; Female; Italy; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Milk
PubMed: 23453517
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2012-6249 -
MSystems Aug 2022Microbes have inhabited the oceans and soils for millions of years and are uniquely adapted to their habitat. In contrast, sewer infrastructure in modern cities dates...
Microbes have inhabited the oceans and soils for millions of years and are uniquely adapted to their habitat. In contrast, sewer infrastructure in modern cities dates back only ~150 years. Sewer pipes transport human waste and provide a view into public health, but the resident organisms that likely modulate these features are relatively unexplored. Here, we show that the bacterial assemblages sequenced from untreated wastewater in 71 U.S. cities were highly coherent at a fine sequence level, suggesting that urban infrastructure separated by great spatial distances can give rise to strikingly similar communities. Within the overall microbial community structure, temperature had a discernible impact on the distribution patterns of closely related amplicon sequence variants, resulting in warm and cold ecotypes. Two bacterial genera were dominant in most cities regardless of their size or geographic location; on average, accounted for 11% and Acinetobacter 10% of the entire community. Metagenomic analysis of six cities revealed these highly abundant resident organisms carry clinically important antibiotic resistant genes bla, bla, and bla. In contrast, human fecal bacteria account for only ~13% of the community; therefore, antibiotic resistance gene inputs from human sources to the sewer system could be comparatively small, which will impact measurement capabilities when monitoring human populations using wastewater. With growing awareness of the metabolic potential of microbes within these vast networks of pipes and the ability to examine the health of human populations, it is timely to increase our understanding of the ecology of these systems. Sewer infrastructure is a relatively new habitat comprised of thousands of kilometers of pipes beneath cities. These wastewater conveyance systems contain large reservoirs of microbial biomass with a wide range of metabolic potential and are significant reservoirs of antibiotic resistant organisms; however, we lack an adequate understanding of the ecology or activity of these communities beyond wastewater treatment plants. The striking coherence of the sewer microbiome across the United States demonstrates that the sewer environment is highly selective for a particular microbial community composition. Therefore, results from more in-depth studies or proven engineering controls in one system could be extrapolated more broadly. Understanding the complex ecology of sewer infrastructure is critical for not only improving our ability to treat human waste and increasing the sustainability of our cities but also to create scalable and effective sewage microbial observatories, which are inevitable investments of the future to monitor health in human populations.
Topics: Humans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Microbiota; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; United States; Wastewater
PubMed: 35762794
DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00118-22 -
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences :... Dec 2021is an emerging foodborne pathogen worldwide. In this study, the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic characteristics of from different sources were...
is an emerging foodborne pathogen worldwide. In this study, the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic characteristics of from different sources were investigated. Eighteen isolates were obtained from 60 raw chicken meat samples (16/60, 27%) and 150 patients with diarrhea (2/150, 1.3%). The resistance ratios to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, and florfenicol were 83.33% (15/18), 38.89% (7/18), 38.89% (7/18), 33.33% (6/18) and 33.33% (6/18), respectively. We performed whole genome sequencing of the 18 isolates, and we predicted antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors by using assembled genomes through blastx analysis. Two resistance genes, and (H), and the C254T mutation in , were identified in the genomes of some resistant isolates. Furthermore, virulence genes, such as , , , , , , , , , , and , were found in all strains, whereas , and were found in only some strains. Phylogenetic tree analysis of isolates on the basis of the core-genome single nucleotide polymorphisms showed that two isolates from patients with diarrhea clustered together, separately from the isolates from raw chicken and the chicken strains. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of isolated in Beijing.
Topics: Aged; Animals; Arcobacter; Chickens; Diarrhea; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Humans; Male; Meat; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Phylogeny; Poultry Diseases; Virulence; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 34981728
DOI: 10.3967/bes2021.139 -
Journal of Food Protection Jan 2005Growth and survival of six human isolates of the pathogenic Arcobacter spp. in the presence of selected environmental factors were studied. Four strains of Arcobacter...
Growth and survival of six human isolates of the pathogenic Arcobacter spp. in the presence of selected environmental factors were studied. Four strains of Arcobacter butzleri and two strains of Arcobacter cryaerophilus were exposed to pH levels of 3.5 to 8.0. Most strains grew between pH 5.5 and 8.0, with optimal growth of most A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus strains at pH 6.0 to 7.0 and 7.0 to 7.5, respectively. The 24-h optimal growth range in the presence of NaCl was 0.5 to 1.0% for A. cryaerophilus. However, after 96 h, the optimum was between 0.5 and 2.0% NaCl. The optimum range for growth of A. butzleri strains was 0.09 to 0.5% NaCl after 96 h. The upper growth limits were 3.5 and 3.0% NaCl for A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus, respectively. Survival at 25 degrees C in up to 5% NaCl was noted for A. butzleri 3556 and 3539 and A. cryaerophilus 3256. Decimal reduction times (D-values) at pH 7.3 in phosphate-buffered saline for three A. butzleri strains were 0.07 to 0.12 min at 60 degrees C, 0.38 to 0.76 min at 55 degrees C, and 5.12 to 5.81 min at 50 degrees C. At pH 5.5, decreased thermotolerance was observed, with D-values of 0.03 to 0.11 min at 60 degrees C, 0.30 to 0.42 min at 55 degrees C, and 1.97 to 4.42 min at 50 degrees C. Calculated z-values ranged from 5.20 to 6.28 degrees C. D-values of a three-strain mixture of A. butzleri in raw ground pork were 18.51 min at 50 degrees C and 2.18 min at 55 degrees C. Mild heat (50 degress C) followed by cold shock (4 or 8 degrees C exposure) had a synergistic lethal effect, reducing more cells than with an individual 50 degrees C treatment or with cold shock temperatures of 12 or 16 degrees C.
Topics: Animals; Arcobacter; Colony Count, Microbial; Consumer Product Safety; Food Microbiology; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Sodium Chloride; Temperature; Time Factors
PubMed: 15690799
DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x-68.1.18 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Jan 2022Molecular surveys of low temperature deep-sea hydrothermal vent fluids have shown that (previously ) often dominate the microbial community and that three genera, , ,...
Molecular surveys of low temperature deep-sea hydrothermal vent fluids have shown that (previously ) often dominate the microbial community and that three genera, , , and , frequently coexist. In this study, we used replicated radiocarbon incubations of deep-sea hydrothermal fluids to investigate activity of each genus under three experimental conditions. To quantify genus-specific radiocarbon incorporation, we used newly designed oligonucleotide probes for , , and to quantify their activity using catalyzed-reporter deposition fluorescence hybridization (CARD-FISH) combined with fluorescence-activated cell sorting. All three genera actively fixed CO in short-term (∼ 20 h) incubations, but responded differently to the additions of nitrate and oxygen. Oxygen additions had the largest effect on community composition, and caused a pronounced shift in community composition at the amplicon sequence variant (ASV) level after only 20 h of incubation. The effect of oxygen on carbon fixation rates appeared to depend on the initial starting community. The presented results support the hypothesis that these chemoautotrophic genera possess functionally redundant core metabolic capabilities, but also reveal finer-scale differences in growth likely reflecting adaptation of physiologically-distinct phylotypes to varying oxygen concentrations . Overall, our study provides new insights into how oxygen controls community composition and total chemoautotrophic activity, and underscores how quickly deep-sea vent microbial communities respond to disturbances. Sulfidic environments worldwide are often dominated by sulfur-oxidizing, carbon-fixing . Environmental factors associated with this group's dominance are now understood, but far less is known about the ecology and physiology of members of subgroups of chemoautotrophic . In this study, we used a novel method to differentiate the genus-specific chemoautotrophic activity of three subtypes of In combination with evidence from microscopic counts, chemical consumption/production during incubations, and DNA-based measurements, our data show that oxygen concentration affects both community composition and chemoautotrophic function . These results help us better understand factors controlling microbial diversity at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and provide first-order insights into the ecophysiological differences between these distinct microbial taxa.
Topics: Carbon Cycle; Hydrothermal Vents; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Oxygen; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Seawater
PubMed: 34788061
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02083-21 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2021The bacterial communities and physicochemical characteristics of four types of extremely distinctive traditionally fermented vegetables (pickled pepper (PP), pickled...
The bacterial communities and physicochemical characteristics of four types of extremely distinctive traditionally fermented vegetables (pickled pepper (PP), pickled Brassica napobrassica (PBN), salted flowers of wild chives (SFWC), and pickled cucumber (PC)) were identified and compared from north China. was the main bacterial genus in PP and PBN samples, with only being observed in PBN. The predominant genus in SFWC was , while in PC they were were and . At the species level, , and were abundant in PP and PBN. were enriched in PP, and , and were observed in PBN. and were abundant in SFWC. Moreover, tartaric acid was the most physicochemical factor influencing microbial composition, followed by malic acid, titratable acidity (TA), and lactic acid. Furthermore, functional analysis demonstrated that the most genes of the bacterial profiles correlated with carbohydrate metabolism. However, some foodborne pathogens were existed, such as and . The results of this study provide detailed insight into the relationship between the bacterial communities and physicochemical indices of fermented vegetables, and may improve the quality and safety of traditional Chinese fermented vegetables.
PubMed: 35010147
DOI: 10.3390/foods11010021