Category Archives: Campylobacter

Research – New NARMS report shows rising resistance in Salmonella, Campylobacter

Posted on April 23, 2022 by | Leave a comment

CIDRAP

The latest data from a national surveillance system that monitors foodborne bacterial pathogens for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) shows some concerning changes in resistance patterns among serotypes of Salmonella.

The findings come from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring Systems (NARMS) 2019 Integrated Summary, which combines data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The report provides a snapshot of resistance patterns found in bacteria isolated from humans, animals, raw meats from retail outlets (chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, and pork chops), and meat and poultry product samples collected at slaughtering facilities.

In addition to Salmonella, which causes an estimated 1.35 million illnesses and 26,500 hospitalizations each year, the NARMS report also includes resistance data on Campylobacter (1.5 million illnesses and 19,500 hospitalizations), Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus. NARMS monitors these bacteria to detect emerging resistance patterns to the antibiotics that are most important to human medicine, multidrug resistance, and specific resistance genes.

Increase in multidrug-resistant Salmonella serotype

Overall, the NARMS report shows that more than three fourths of the Salmonella isolates (78%) from humans were not resistant to any of the antibiotics tested, and that the overall level of resistance in humans remains relatively unchanged since 2018. However, the report also found rising resistance to ciprofloxacin—one of the three antibiotics used to treat severe Salmonella infections.

From 2018 to 2019, Salmonella with decreased susceptibility to ciprofloxacin increased from 9% to 11% in humans, from 18% to 31% in retail chicken, from 20% to 30% in chicken product samples, from 26% to 32% in chicken cecal content samples, and from 0% to 14% in retail pork samples.

The increase in resistance to ciprofloxacin among poultry isolates was primarily due to the increase in Salmonella Infantis, a multidrug-resistant (MDR) serotype that emerged in 2014.

The rise in Salmonella Infantis isolates was also behind an increase in MDR isolates found in retail chicken (from 20% to 32%) and in chicken product samples (22% to 29%). Up to 10 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes were found in some of the Salmonella Infantis isolates.

In addition, the NARMS report shows an increase in another MDR Salmonella serotype, I 4,[5],12:i:-, which is linked to pigs and has become an increasing public health concern in Europe and the United States. The percentage of MDR isolates from humans that are of the I 4,[5],12:i:- serotype rose from 7% in 2010 to 26% in 2019, and from 7% to 35% in swine samples.

NARMS data also show rising fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter isolates. In humans, the proportion of ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter isolates rose from 29% in 2018 to 34% in 2019 for Campylobacter jejuni and from 41% to 45% in C coli. Ciprofloxacin-resistant C jejuni isolated from chicken cecal contents (21% in 2018 to 26% in 2019) and chicken retail samples (20% to 22%) also rose.

Analysis of E coli isolates found increases in ceftriaxone resistance in sow cecal samples (3% in 2018 to 7% in 2019) and in retail pork (4% to 7%). Whole-genome sequencing of Salmonella and E coli from animals, animal products, and retail meats found that none harbored any of the MCR-1 through MCR-8 colistin-resistance genes.

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Posted in AMR, Antibiotic Resistance, Campylobacter, E.coli, Enterococcus, FDA, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Salmonella

UK – Several supermarkets improve Campylobacter in chicken results

Posted on March 29, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The supermarket Marks and Spencer has reported better results for Campylobacter in chicken in the latest quarterly figures from the United Kingdom.

The data covers October to December 2021 for nine retailers on high levels of Campylobacter in fresh, shop-bought, UK-produced chickens.

Results at Morrisons, Lidl, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s went up while Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Co-op, Aldi and Asda recorded lower levels of contamination compared to the previous quarter.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) maximum level is 7 percent of birds with more than 1,000 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) of Campylobacter.

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Posted in Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Retailer Campylobacter Survey

Research – Salmonella and Campylobacter continue to show high levels of antibiotic resistance

Posted on March 29, 2022 by | Leave a comment

EFSA

Antibiotic resistance in Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria is still high, says a report released today by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Campylobacteriosis was the most reported zoonosis in the EU in 2020 and the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness. Campylobacter bacteria from humans and poultry continues to show very high resistance to ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, that is commonly used to treat some types of bacterial human infection.

Increasing trends of resistance against the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics has been observed in humans and broilers for Campylobacter jejuni. In Salmonella Enteritidis, the most common type of Salmonella in humans, increasing trends of resistance to the quinolone/fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics were observed. In animals, resistance to these antibiotics in Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella Enteritidis were generally moderate to high.

However, despite the increasing trends of resistance against certain antibiotics, simultaneous resistance to two critically important antibiotics – remains low for E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter in bacteria from both humans and food-producing animals.

A decline in resistance to tetracyclines and ampicillin in Salmonella from humans was observed in nine and ten countries, respectively, over the period 2016-2020, and this was particularly evident in Salmonella Typhimurium. Despite the decline, resistance to these antibiotics still remains high in bacteria from both humans and animals.

Furthermore, in more than half of the European Union countries, a statistically significant decreasing trend in the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli was observed in food-producing animals. This is an important finding as particular strains of ESBL-producing E. coli are responsible for serious infections in humans.

Carbapenem resistance remains extremely rare in E. coli and Salmonella from food-producing animals. Carbapenems are a class of last resort antibiotics and any findings showing resistance to these in zoonotic bacteria are concerning.

Although findings and trends are consistent with data reported in previous years, the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the amount of data reported, particularly with regards to public health.

An interactive data visualisation tool shows resistance levels in humans, animals and food, country-by-country in 2019 and 2020.

Additionally, the human food and waterborne antibiotic resistance data is published in ECDC’s Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases (under the diseases campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis and shigellosis, respectively).

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, carbapenem resistance, Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, ESBL, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Multi Drug Resistant, Research, Salmonella

France – Report on surveillance of Campylobacter infections in France in 2020.

Posted on March 26, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Sante Publique

Key points

In 2020, surveillance of Campylobacter infections confirmed the epidemiological and biological trends already observed in recent years: 

  • a predominance of the species C. jejuni ;
  • higher number of cases and incidence in children;
  • a predominance of infections in men, except in people aged 30 to 39;
  • a seasonal peak during the summer period;
  • high resistance to fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines, which has remained stable in recent years;
  • no notable increase in the resistance rates of the six antibiotics tested routinely;
  • the consumption of poultry as the first food (incriminated or suspected) source of contamination in episodes of collective food poisoning.

The number of Campylobacter strains listed by the CNR has been increasing since 2013, the year in which the network’s laboratories introduced online data entry. This increase could be a reflection of an increase in Campylobacter infections in France. However, this increase in the number of strains must be considered within the framework of the specificities of the surveillance system. Several factors, such as an increase in the activity of the network’s laboratories or prescriptions for stool cultures, could cause an increase in the number of isolations and notifications over time. The implementation of multiplex PCR in many laboratories has also facilitated the detection of Campylobacter sp in stool samples.

The health context linked to the COVID-19 pandemic does not seem to have had an impact on the surveillance data. A decrease in the number of strains compared to previous years was observed only in March-April 2020, corresponding to the period of the first confinement. This reduction seems to reflect less recourse to care (medical consultation, biological analyses) during this period, but could also indicate a reduction in the incidence linked to health restrictions.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Food Microbiology Research, Research

Research – Campylobacter jejuni vaccine candidate set for human trials

Posted on March 19, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

A potential vaccine developed by University of Guelph researchers to combat one of the main causes of bacterial diarrheal illness worldwide is set to be tested on people early this year.

Human clinical trials of a novel sugar-based vaccine will take place in 2022 at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The trials will be funded by the United States National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Mario Monteiro, a professor in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, hopes recent refinements to the vaccine in his lab following earlier phase one trials will improve its effectiveness against the Campylobacter jejuni bacterium.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Campylobacter jejuni, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research

USA – Updated Campylobacter Method

Posted on February 28, 2022 by | Leave a comment

USDA

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook Update

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service sent this bulletin at 02/25/2022 08:00 PM EST

Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook for USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. This method has recently been updated:

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Posted in Campylobacter, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Laboratory, Laboratory Method, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research

Research – Denmark – New Methods to Reduce Campylobacter on Chicken Meat

Posted on February 11, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food DTU

Campylobacter kswfoodworld

Researchers and businesses will use a GUDP grant to develop new ways to prevent campylobacter bacteria from ending up on chicken meat and to ensure that fewer consumers get sick.

The greater focus on more sustainable diets may increase demand for chicken, which is the meat with the lowest carbon footprint. However, chicken is also the food source that most frequently gives Danes and Europeans campylobacter infections, which is a major challenge for the food industry.

Because chicken may become an even more popular food in future, it is important to gain more knowledge about and develop more solutions for reducing the presence of campylobacter bacteria in broiler chickens. By 2025, chicken producers will also have to comply with stricter EU rules on preventing campylobacter in chicken meat.

Moreover, free-range flocks of broiler chickens are far more often campylobacter-positive than conventional flocks. This is because they roam outside, where the bacterium occurs naturally. Existing measures used for conventional broilers such as increased biosecurity and fly nets are therefore not practical for free-range and organic broiler chickens.

Promising methods to be tested on a larger scale

In the SafeChicken project, researchers from DTU National Food Institute and DTU’s Department of Chemical Engineering will work with the Danish chicken producer Danpo and the Icelandic company Thor Ice Chilling Solutions to develop and test ways of producing chicken meat containing fewer campylobacter bacteria.

The project will test methods in different parts of the food chain in the production of both organic and conventional broiler chickens by: adding selected substances to the chickens’ feed and water which have the potential to prevent the growth of campylobacter bacteria in the chickens; reducing the prevalence of the bacteria in the environment with a new decontamination technology; and reducing bacteria on the carcasses by using a special cooling technology.

Some of the methods have already been tested and have shown promising results on a small scale under controlled conditions. To ensure that they are applicable in practice, also for free range and organic chicken production, the project partners will investigate and document the methods’ effectiveness under normal production conditions. They will also assess the extent to which each measure can help lower the risk of humans becoming infected and sick from campylobacter bacteria.

Combatting campylobacter from a ‘green’ perspective

The fewer bacteria chicken meat contains, the longer the meat can stay fresh. This will also result in fewer withdrawals of goods that have to be destroyed due to unacceptable levels of campylobacter. This will help to achieve the UN Sustainable Goal no. 12 concerning responsible consumption and production.

As part of the Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP), the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries has allocated DKK 7.4 million for the three-year project, which is led by DTU National Food Institute.

About campylobacter

Campylobacter infection is the most frequently occurring foodborne disease in the EU and Denmark. According to the official statistics, the bacterium makes approximately 4,500 Danes ill each year. However, many cases are never reported, and researchers believe the real number is about ten times higher.

The more campylobacter bacteria a food contains, the greater the risk that it will make people ill when they ingest it. Therefore, Danish authorities have initiated national action plans with the aim of reducing the risk of contracting campylobacter infection. The target for 2018-21 was a 50% reduction compared to 2013—and this goal has not yet been reached.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Campylobacter jejuni, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research

RASFF Alert -Campylobacter – Polish Chicken

Posted on February 11, 2022 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Salmonella group CO and Campylobacter in chicken neck skin samples from Poland in the Netherlands and Croatia

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Posted in Campylobacter, Campylobacter jejuni, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing

Research – Boy, 4, Paralyzed Over a Matter of Hours Diagnosed With Rare Disorder – Campylobacter

Posted on February 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Newsweek

4-year-old boy from Sydney who went to bed happy and healthy woke up unable to move his legs, telling his mom: “Mummy I can’t feel my legs.”

Oliver Davis’ mother, Bel, took her son to a local doctor who called him an ambulance, beginning the search for the cause of the boy’s sudden and mysterious paralysis, Australia’s 7News reported.

As the next 48 hours progressed, Oliver Davis’ condition worsened, leaving him unable to move from the shoulders down. Five days later he lost his ability to speak and swallow, lost control of his bladder, and had to begin being fed via a feeding tube.

Following a barrage of tests, including an MRI and a lumbar puncture, the 4-year-old was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune disorder that occurs when a person’s own immune system damages their nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.

The CDC says that several things are known to trigger GBS, two-thirds of people who suffer from the condition have had diarrhea caused by a bacteria called Campylobacter jejuni several weeks before developing symptoms. Infection with this bacteria seems to be one of the most common risk factors of GBS.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Campylobacter jejuni, Decontamination Microbial, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations

Research – Binational outbreak of Guillain–Barré syndrome associated with Campylobacter jejuni infection, Mexico and USA, 2011

Posted on February 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Cambridge Org

In June 2011, a cluster of suspected cases of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), which can follow Campylobacter jejuni infection, was identified in San Luis Río Colorado (SLRC), Sonora, Mexico and Yuma County, Arizona, USA. An outbreak investigation identified 26 patients (18 from Sonora, eight from Arizona) with onset of GBS 4 May–21 July 2011, exceeding the expected number of cases (n = 1–2). Twenty-one (81%) patients reported antecedent diarrhoea, and 61% of 18 patients tested were seropositive for C. jejuni IgM antibodies. In a case-control study matched on age group, sex, ethnicity, and neighbourhood of residence, all Arizona GBS patients travelled to SLRC during the exposure period vs. 45% of matched controls (matched odds ratio 8·1, 95% confidence interval 1·5–∞). Exposure information and an environmental assessment suggested that GBS cases resulted from a large outbreak of C. jejuni infection from inadequately disinfected tap water in SLRC. Binational collaboration was essential in investigating this cross-border GBS outbreak, the first in mainland North America since 1976.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Campylobacter jejuni, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research