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Italian Journal of Food Safety Dec 2018The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and genetic characteristics of spp. in bovine bulk tank milk produced in Apulia Region (Italy). Samples...
The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and genetic characteristics of spp. in bovine bulk tank milk produced in Apulia Region (Italy). Samples collected from 396 dairy farms, after enrichment in a selective broth, were subjected to an genus - specific Real Time PCR. Positive broths, previously filtered, were seeded on Karmali, MCCD and Columbia Blood Agar plates; presumptive spp. colonies were identified using an amplification and sequencing method and then characterized by Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST). Prevalence of spp in bovine milk samples was 5% (20/396); was the only isolated species, in agreement with previous studies that reported as the most commonly recovered species in milk and dairy products. MLST analysis of the 20 strains identified 81 alleles and 16 STs. Consistent with previous studies, MLST revealed a high level of heterogeneity between the isolates and confirmed the high discriminatory power of this method and its suitability for epidemiological investigations. This study confirmed the importance of raw milk as a possible source of spp for humans.
PubMed: 30854340
DOI: 10.4081/ijfs.2018.7685 -
New Microbes and New Infections Jan 2017is a species associated with human disease. A group of pork strains (represented by strain LMG 24487) clustered separately from the type strain (LMG 24486) in the 16S...
is a species associated with human disease. A group of pork strains (represented by strain LMG 24487) clustered separately from the type strain (LMG 24486) in the 16S rRNA and multilocus phylogenetic trees. DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity results between their genomes (93.3 and 51.1%) confirmed '' (LMG 24487) as a new species.
PubMed: 28070334
DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2016.11.014 -
Revista Do Instituto de Medicina... 2016Arcobacter spp. are emerging enteropathogens and potential zoonotic agents that can be transmitted by food and water, being considered a public health risk. The high...
Arcobacter spp. are emerging enteropathogens and potential zoonotic agents that can be transmitted by food and water, being considered a public health risk. The high isolation rate of these bacteria from poultry products suggests that it may be a major source of human infections. One hallmark for differentiating the genus Arcobacter from Campylobacter includes their growing capacity at low temperatures (15-30 °C) under aerobic conditions. However, little is known about the population density variation of these bacteria at different refrigeration temperatures. The aim of this study was to determine the survival behavior of two different Arcobacter butzleri concentrations (10(4) CFU/mL and 10(7) CFU/mL) inoculated on chicken legs and held at two different refrigeration temperatures (4 and 10 °C) throughout storage time. Results have shown that A. butzleri had growing capacity both at 4 and 10 °C. No statistical difference between the survival trends was found for both bacterial concentrations and temperatures tested. This study shows that A. butzleri is a robust species with regard to storage temperature, and represents a potential health risk for poultry meat consumers.
Topics: Animals; Arcobacter; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Chickens; Cold Temperature; Colony Count, Microbial; Consumer Product Safety; Food Contamination; Food Microbiology; Meat; Poultry Products; Refrigeration
PubMed: 27007565
DOI: 10.1590/S1678-9946201658022 -
Microorganisms May 2024This study extensively analyzed the bacterial information of biofilms and activated sludge in oxic reactors of full-scale moving bed biofilm reactor-integrated...
This study extensively analyzed the bacterial information of biofilms and activated sludge in oxic reactors of full-scale moving bed biofilm reactor-integrated fixed-film activated sludge (MBBR-IFAS) systems. The bacterial communities of biofilms and activated sludge differed statistically (R = 0.624, < 0.01). The denitrifying genera , , , and were more abundant in activated sludge ( < 0.05), while comammox was more abundant in biofilms ( < 0.05), with an average relative abundance of 8.13%. and had weak co-occurrence relationships with other genera in the MBBR-IFAS systems. Potential function analysis revealed no differences in pathways at levels 1 and 2 based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) between biofilms and activated sludge. However, in terms of pathways at level 3, biofilms had more potential in 26 pathways, including various organic biodegradation and membrane and signal transportation pathways. In comparison, activated sludge had more potential in only five pathways, including glycan biosynthesis and metabolism. With respect to nitrogen metabolism, biofilms had greater potential for nitrification (ammonia oxidation) (M00528), and complete nitrification (comammox) (M00804) concretely accounted for methane/ammonia monooxygenase (K10944, K10945, and K10946) and hydroxylamine dehydrogenase (K10535). This study provides a theoretical basis for MBBR-IFAS systems from the perspective of microorganisms.
PubMed: 38930504
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061121 -
IScience Mar 2021Mangrove-dominated estuaries host a diverse microbial assemblage that facilitates nutrient and carbon conversions and could play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem...
Mangrove-dominated estuaries host a diverse microbial assemblage that facilitates nutrient and carbon conversions and could play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem health. In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene analysis, metabolic inference, nutrient concentrations, and δC and δN isotopes to evaluate the impact of land use change on near-shore biogeochemical cycles and microbial community structures within mangrove-dominated estuaries. Samples in close proximity to active shrimp aquaculture were high in NH , NO NO , and PO ; lower in microbial community and metabolic diversity; and dominated by putative nitrifiers, denitrifies, and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Near intact mangrove forests we observed the presence of potential nitrogen fixers of the genus and order Rhizobiales. We identified possible indicators of aquaculture effluents such as family Chromatiaceae and genus These results highlight the sensitivity of the estuarine-mangrove microbial community, and their ecosystem functions, to land use changes.
PubMed: 33786421
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102204 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Apr 2020Pathogenic bacteria in wastewater are generally considered to be efficiently removed in biological wastewater treatment plants. This understanding is almost solely based...
Pathogenic bacteria in wastewater are generally considered to be efficiently removed in biological wastewater treatment plants. This understanding is almost solely based on culture-based control measures, and here we show, by applying culture-independent methods, that the removal of species in the genus was less effective than for many other abundant genera in the influent wastewater. was one of the most abundant genera in influent wastewater at 14 municipal wastewater treatment plants and was also abundant in the "clean" effluent from all the plants, reaching up to 30% of all bacteria as analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Metagenomic analyses, culturing, genome sequencing of isolates, and visualization by fluorescent hybridization (FISH) confirmed the presence of the human-pathogenic and in both influent and effluent. The main reason for the high relative abundance in the effluent was probably that cells, compared to those of other abundant genera in the influent, did not flocculate and attach well to the activated sludge flocs, leaving a relatively large fraction dispersed in the water phase. The study shows there is an urgent need for new standardized culture-independent measurements of pathogens in effluent wastewaters, e.g., amplicon sequencing, and an investigation of the problem on a global scale to quantify the risk for humans and livestock. The genus was unexpectedly abundant in the effluent from 14 Danish wastewater treatment plants treating municipal wastewater, and the species included the human-pathogenic and Recent studies have shown that is common in wastewater worldwide, so the study indicates that discharge of members of the genus may be a global problem, and further studies are needed to quantify the risk and potentially minimize the discharge. The study also shows that culture-based analyses are insufficient for proper effluent quality control, and new standardized culture-independent measurements of effluent quality encompassing most pathogens should be considered.
Topics: Arcobacter; Denmark; RNA, Bacterial; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Wastewater
PubMed: 32111585
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.03044-19 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Aug 2013The genus Arcobacter is composed of 17 species which have been isolated from various sources. Of particular interest are A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii,...
The genus Arcobacter is composed of 17 species which have been isolated from various sources. Of particular interest are A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii, as these have been associated with human cases of diarrhea, the probable transmission routes being through the ingestion of contaminated drinking water and food. To date, only limited studies of virulence traits in this genus have been undertaken. The present study used 60 Arcobacter strains isolated from different sources, representing 16 of the 17 species of the genus, to investigate their ability to adhere to and invade the human intestinal cell line Caco-2. In addition, the presence of five putative virulence genes (ciaB, cadF, cj1349, hecA, and irgA) was screened for in these strains by PCR. All Arcobacter species except A. bivalviorum and Arcobacter sp. strain W63 adhered to Caco-2 cells, and most species (10/16) were invasive. The most invasive species were A. skirrowii, A. cryaerophilus, A. butzleri, and A. defluvii. All invasive strains were positive for ciaB (encoding a putative invasion protein). Other putative virulence genes were present in other species, i.e., A. butzleri (cadF, cj1349, irgA, and hecA), A. trophiarum (cj1349), A. ellisii (cj1349), and A. defluvii (irgA). No virulence genes were detected in strains which showed little or no invasion of Caco-2 cells. These results indicate that many Arcobacter species are potential pathogens of humans and animals.
Topics: Arcobacter; Bacterial Adhesion; Bacterial Proteins; Caco-2 Cells; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Species Specificity; Virulence
PubMed: 23770897
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01073-13 -
PloS One 2016Only limited information is available about the immunopathogenic properties of Arcobacter infection in vivo. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of published data in... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Only limited information is available about the immunopathogenic properties of Arcobacter infection in vivo. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of published data in murine infection models to compare the pathogenic potential of Arcobacter butzleri with Campylobacter jejuni and commensal Escherichia coli as pathogenic and harmless reference bacteria, respectively.
METHODOLOGY / PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Gnotobiotic IL-10-/- mice generated by broad-spectrum antibiotic compounds were perorally infected with A. butzleri (strains CCUG 30485 or C1), C. jejuni (strain 81-176) or a commensal intestinal E. coli strain. Either strain stably colonized the murine intestines upon infection. At day 6 postinfection (p.i.), C. jejuni infected mice only displayed severe clinical sequelae such as wasting bloody diarrhea. Gross disease was accompanied by increased numbers of colonic apoptotic cells and distinct immune cell populations including macrophages and monocytes, T and B cells as well as regulatory T cells upon pathogenic infection. Whereas A. butzleri and E. coli infected mice were clinically unaffected, respective colonic immune cell numbers increased in the former, but not in the latter, and more distinctly upon A. butzleri strain CCUG 30485 as compared to C1 strain infection. Both, A. butzleri and C. jejuni induced increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, TNF, IL-6 and MCP-1 in large, but also small intestines. Remarkably, even though viable bacteria did not translocate from the intestines to extra-intestinal compartments, systemic immune responses were induced in C. jejuni, but also A. butzleri infected mice as indicated by increased respective pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations in serum samples at day 6 p.i.
CONCLUSION / SIGNIFICANCE
A. butzleri induce less distinct pro-inflammatory sequelae as compared to C. jejuni, but more pronounced local and systemic immune responses than commensal E. coli in a strain-dependent manner. Hence, data point towards that A. butzleri is more than a commensal in vertebrate hosts.
Topics: Animals; Arcobacter; Campylobacter jejuni; Chemokine CCL2; Colon; Disease Models, Animal; Escherichia coli; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Humans; Inflammation; Interferon-gamma; Interleukin-10; Intestines; Mice; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
PubMed: 27438014
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159685 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2021Water is vital to agriculture. It is essential that the water used for the production of fresh produce commodities be safe. Microbial pathogens are able to survive for... (Review)
Review
Water is vital to agriculture. It is essential that the water used for the production of fresh produce commodities be safe. Microbial pathogens are able to survive for extended periods of time in water. It is critical to understand their biology and ecology in this ecosystem in order to develop better mitigation strategies for farmers who grow these food crops. In this review the prevalence, persistence and ecology of four major foodborne pathogens, Shiga toxin-producing (STEC), , and closely related , and , in water are discussed. These pathogens have been linked to fresh produce outbreaks, some with devastating consequences, where, in a few cases, the contamination event has been traced to water used for crop production or post-harvest activities. In addition, antimicrobial resistance, methods improvements, including the role of genomics in aiding in the understanding of these pathogens, are discussed. Finally, global initiatives to improve our knowledge base of these pathogens around the world are touched upon.
PubMed: 34832547
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111391 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2024Bivalves can concentrate biological and chemical pollutants, causing foodborne outbreaks whose occurrence is increasing, due to climatic and anthropic factors that are...
Bivalves can concentrate biological and chemical pollutants, causing foodborne outbreaks whose occurrence is increasing, due to climatic and anthropic factors that are difficult to reverse, hence the need for improved surveillance. This study aimed to evaluate the hygienic qualities of bivalves sampled along the production and distribution chain in Sicily and collect useful data for consumer safety. Bacteriological and molecular analyses were performed on 254 samples of bivalves for the detection of enteropathogenic , spp., spp., spp., and beta-glucuronidase-positive . A total of 96 out of 254 samples, collected in the production areas, were processed for algal biotoxins and heavy metals detection. Bacterial and algal contaminations were also assessed for 21 samples of water from aquaculture implants. spp., spp., , spp., and were detected in 106/254, 79/254, 12/254, 16/254, and 95/254 molluscs, respectively. A total of 10/96 bivalves tested positive for algal biotoxins, and metals were under the legal limit. , and were detected in 5, 3, and 3 water samples, respectively. , , and spp. were detected in water samples collected with the biotoxin-containing molluscs. Traces of yessotoxins were detected in molluscs from water samples containing the corresponding producing algae. Despite the strict regulation by the European Commission over shellfish supply chain monitoring, our analyses highlighted the need for efficiency improvement.
PubMed: 38397529
DOI: 10.3390/foods13040552