Research – Probiotic Lactobacilli Do Not Protect Chickens against Salmonella Enteritidis Infection by Competitive Exclusion in the Intestinal Tract but in Feed, Outside the Chicken Host

Posted on January 22, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Lactobacilli are commonly used as probiotics in poultry to improve production parameters and to increase chicken resistance to enteric infections. However, lactobacilli do not efficiently colonise the chicken intestinal tract, and also, their anti-infection effect in vivo is sometimes questionable. In this study, we therefore evaluated the potential of a mixture of four Lactobacillus species (L. salivarius, L. reuteri, L. ingluviei and L. alvi) for the protection of chickens against Salmonella Enteritidis infection. Whenever the chickens were inoculated by lactobacilli and S. Enteritidis separately, there was no protective effect of lactobacilli. This means that when lactobacilli and S. Enteritidis are exposed to each other as late as in the crop of chickens, lactobacilli did not influence chicken resistance to S. Enteritidis at all. The only positive effect was recorded when the mixture of lactobacilli and S. Enteritidis was used for the inoculation of feed and the feed was anaerobically fermented for 1 to 5 days. In this case, chickens fed such a diet remained S. Enteritidis negative. In vitro experiments showed that the protective effect was caused by acidification of feed down to pH 4.6 due to lactobacilli fermentation and was associated with S. Enteritidis inactivation. The probiotic effect of lactobacilli was thus expressed in the feed, outside the chicken host. View Full-Text

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Posted in Animal Feed, Animal Feed Salmonella, Animal Feed Testing, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Lactobacillus, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Salmonella

Research – Surveillance and characteristics of food-borne outbreaks in the Netherlands, 2006 to 2019

Posted on January 22, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Eurosurveillance

A wide variety of pathogens can cause disease in humans through the consumption of contaminated food [1–3]. Contamination of food can occur at any point from farm to table, as a result of improper hygiene, handling, storage or preparation, and the broad range of food products that can be contaminated adds to the complexity. An estimated 652,000 cases of infectious diseases because of contaminated food occurred in 2018 in the Netherlands, leading to around EUR 171 million in costs [4]. This figure and corresponding costs have remained at the same level since 2009 [4,5]. The exact number of cases remains unknown; only a minority of food-borne cases is captured by surveillance systems since most infections are relatively mild and no diagnostic testing is performed. Furthermore, not all food-borne infections are systematically monitored.

Although recognised food-borne outbreaks only account for a small part of the food-borne disease burden, they can provide insight into the pathogens causing outbreaks, food products implied as vehicles, points of contamination, and settings in which transmission occurs [6,7]. Determination of the contaminated food product is difficult, especially in sporadic cases, because of varying incubation periods in which many exposures occurred, as well as recall bias. Outbreaks offer the opportunity to gather consumption data from more than one case and to perform a comparison with controls, which increases the chance of finding the contaminated food item. Analysis of data over a longer period also offers the opportunity to describe trends in food-borne outbreaks, to identify new and emerging food-borne pathogens and specific pathogen-food combinations, and to examine the public health importance of pathogens, which can be used to improve food safety [6,8].

The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of food-borne outbreaks registered between 2006 and 2019 in the Netherlands in order to provide a better understanding of food-borne outbreaks and to guide efforts to control, reduce and prevent future food-borne illness.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Pathogen, pathogenic, Water Safety

Research – A Severe Gastroenteritis Outbreak of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Linked to Contaminated Egg Fried Rice, China, 2021

Posted on January 22, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Frontiers in Microbiology

Salmonella contamination of eggs and egg shells has been identified as a public health problem worldwide. Here, we reported an outbreak of severe gastrointestinal symptoms caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. enteritidis) in China. We evaluated the outbreak by using epidemiological surveys, routine laboratory testing methods, and whole genome sequencing (WGS). This outbreak occurred in a canteen in Beijing, during March 9–11, 2021, 225 of the 324 diners who have eaten at the canteen showed gastrointestinal symptoms. The outbreak had characteristical epidemiological and clinical features. It caused a very high attack rate (69.4%) in a short incubation time. All patients developed diarrhea and high fever, accompanied by abdominal pain (62.3%), nausea (50.4%), and vomiting (62.7%). The average frequency of diarrhea was 12.4 times/day, and the highest frequency of diarrhea was as high as 50 times/day. The average fever temperature was 39.4°C, and the highest fever temperature was 42°C. Twenty strains of S. enteritidis were recovered, including 19 from the patients samples, and one from remained egg fried rice. Antibiotic susceptibility test showed that the 20 outbreak strains all had the same resistance pattern. PFGE results demonstrated that all 20 strains bore completely identical bands. Phylogenetic analysis based on WGS revealed that all 20 outbreak strains were tightly clustered together. So the pathogenic source of this food poisoning incident may was contaminated egg fried rice. Resistance gene analysis showed that the outbreak strains are all multi-drug resistant strains. Virulence gene analysis indicated that these outbreak strains carried a large number of virulence genes, including 2 types of Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPI-1 and SPI-2). Other important virulence genes were also carried by the outbreak strains, such as pefABCD, rck and shdA. And the shdA gene was not in other strains located in the same evolutionary branch as the outbreak strain. We speculated that this is a significant reason for the serious symptoms of gastroenteritis in this outbreak. This outbreak caused by S. enteritidis suggested government should strengthen monitoring of the prevalence of outbreak clone strains, and take measures to mitigate the public health threat posed by contaminated eggs.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, outbreak, Research, Salmonella in Eggs

USA – Alaska says raw milk consumption a possible fatal risk but may make it legal

Posted on January 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Until now, when it came to raw milk, the state of Alaska was looking out for the public health of its residents. An easy to find fact sheet on the state’s website by the state veterinarian says:

“Raw milk may contain food-borne pathogens. These pathogens may be shed into the milk directly from the animal or enter the milk from the environment. These pathogens present a health threat to consumers of raw milk.”

The Alaska Division of Public Health and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation publish “Raw Milk Facts” on the state portal. “Raw milk has been recognized as a source of disease for over 100 years,” it says.

It explains the risks this way: “Unpasteurized milk can contain bacteria such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, and Salmonella. 

“While some people exposed to these bacteria do not develop any symptoms, others may develop short-term nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and cramps.

“Illnesses can last a week or longer, and some people even develop severe, long-term consequences resulting in kidney failure or paralysis. These infections are particularly serious in very young, very old, or those who have impaired immune systems. 

“They can even be fatal.”

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Posted in Campylobacter, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Raw Milk, Salmonella, STEC, STEC E.coli

France – Sure Value cooked hams – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on January 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Food
  • Product subcategory Meats
  • Product brand name Sure value
  • Model names or references premium cooked ham smoked ac 2 slices fe 120g sure value COOKED HAM SUPER AC WHITE 2 SLICES FE SUPERIOR COOKED HAM WITH SMOKED SKIN 4 SLICES 240 G SECURE VALUE premium cooked ham dd 4 tr 240 g fe
  • Identification of products
    GTIN Lot Dated
    3257987336074 1042608 Use-by date 01/28/2022
    3257987336074 1042608 Use-by date 02/01/2022
    3257987336074 1044029 Use-by date 02/03/2022
    3700133908347 1042608 Use-by date 01/28/2022
    3700133908347 1042608 Use-by date 02/01/2022
    3700133908347 1044029 Use-by date 02/03/2022
    3257987336067 1041484 Use-by date 01/27/2022
    3257987336067 1041484 Use-by date 02/01/2022
    3700133908330 1041484 Use-by date 01/27/2022
    3257987336067 1042830 Use-by date 02/03/2022
    3700133908330 1042830 Use-by date 02/01/2022
    3700133908330 1042830 Use-by date 02/03/2022
    3700133908293 1041484 Use-by date 01/27/2022
    3700133908293 1042830 Use-by date 02/01/2022
    3700133908293 1044695 Use-by date 02/03/2022
    3700133908309 1041484 Use-by date 01/27/2022
    3700133908309 1042830 Use-by date 02/01/2022
    3700133908309 1044695 Use-by date 02/03/2022
  • Marketing start/end date From 06/01/2022 to 21/01/2022
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored in the refrigerator
  • Health mark EN 14.752.020 EC
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Regions: Burgundy-Franche-Comté, , , , , Grand-Est, , , , , Hauts-de-France, , , , , Île-de-France
  • Distributors Match France supermarkets (any store in France)

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall Suspicion of the presence of Listeria
  • Risks incurred by the consumer Listeria monocytogenes (causative agent of listeriosis)

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Posted in food contamination, 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, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes

France – Superior cooked ham with rind and without rind FE – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on January 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Food
  • Product subcategory Meats
  • Product brand name Kora
  • Model names or references Superior cooked ham DD torchon FE Superior cooked ham AC Superior cooked ham smoked AC
  • Identification of products
    GTIN Lot Dated
    3257984836317 1042608 Use-by date between 01/28/2022 and 02/02/2022
    3257984836324 1042608 Use-by date between 01/28/2022 and 02/02/2022
    3257985213926 1041484 Use-by date 01/28/2022
    3257985213933 1044695 Use-by date 02/03/2022
    3257984836300 1042830 Use-by date 02/02/2022
    3257984931739 1042830 Use-by date 02/02/2022
    3257985213926 1042830 Use-by date between 31/01/2022 and 02/02/2022
    3257985213933 1042830 Use-by date between 01/28/2022 and 01/31/2022
    3257984836300 1041484 Use-by date between 01/27/2022 and 01/31/2022
  • Packaging2 or 4 slices
  • Marketing start/end date From 10/01/2022 to 20/01/2022
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored in the refrigerator
  • Health mark N 14752020 CE
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Whole France
  • Distributors Cora hypermarkets

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall suspicion of contamination by Listeria
  • Risks incurred by the consumer Listeria monocytogenes (causative agent of listeriosis)

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Posted in 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, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes

USA – Gino’s Ristorante & Pizzeria in West Norriton outbreak update: 13 sick with 3 dead from Hepatitis A

Posted on January 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

NBC10 Philadelphia reports that health officials confirmed a third death in a Hepatitis A outbreak in Montgomery County linked to Gino’s Ristorante & Pizzeria in West Norriton. They have also allowed a restaurant that was closed in connection to the outbreak to reopen.

The Montgomery County Office of Public Health (MCOPH) first announced there was an outbreak on January 5. On Thursday they revealed there have been ten confirmed cases of the virus in the county with three of them fatal. The seven survivors were hospitalized but later released.

Officials also say they are investigating three other possible cases in the outbreak.

Through interviews, health officials confirmed the initial exposure occurred in late November but is no longer a risk to the public.

After conducting a reopening inspection on Thursday, the MCOPH’s Division of Environmental Field Services also lifted the closure of Gino’s Ristorante & Pizzeria in West Norriton.

The restaurant had been closed since January 7 in relation to the outbreak.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Food Virus Death, Hepatitis A, Virus, Virus Vaccination

USA – Marine Biotoxin Management for Molluscan Shellfish Training Video

Posted on January 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FDA

FDA developed a training video on marine biotoxin management to provide a better understanding of specific biotoxin concepts in the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP). The video has been updated and reflects the NSSP Guide for the Control of Molluscan Shellfish: 2019 Revision. The video, comprised of three learning modules, is a tool to help the seafood industry and state and federal agencies understand biotoxin sources and geographic distributions, develop or improve marine biotoxin management and contingency plans, and determine the appropriate laboratory methods for specific applications.

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Posted in Biotoxin, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Toxin, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, shellfish toxin, Toxin

France – ANSES – A partnership to better fight against bacteria in food processing workshops

Posted on January 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

ANSES

The presence of Listeria and Salmonella bacteria in food processing workshops poses several problems: these bacteria that are pathogenic for humans are capable of persisting for a long time in the environment and of resisting treatment with biocidal products. The Actia Fastypers Joint Technological Unit (UMT) has just been created by the Ministry of Agriculture for five years, in order to work on these issues. It brings together research teams (Anses, Inrae) and agro-industrial technical institutes (Actalia – dairy sector and the Pork Institute (IFIP)).

Salmonella and Listeria are two bacteria of animal origin, responsible for illnesses in humans and transmitted by food. They can persist for several months in natural and agricultural environments, as well as in food processing workshops. In addition, some strains may be resistant to treatment with disinfection products. The work of the UMT Actia Fastypers aims on the one hand to understand the mechanisms by which these bacteria manage to adapt and persist in the external environment, including in agri-food workshops, and on the other hand to develop tools to characterize and detectthese persistent bacterial strains. This work will be carried out jointly in the pork sector and the milk sector.

Two ANSES teams involved

Two ANSES units will be involved in the UMT: the Salmonella and Listeria unit of the Food Safety Laboratory and the Antibiotics, Biocides, Residues and Resistance Unit of the Fougères Laboratory. The first will provide its expertise in the genomic characterization of strains, in order to identify which genotype is associated with the characteristics studied (resistance to heavy metals, persistence in the environment, virulence, etc.). The second will study the adaptation and resistance of bacteria to the biocidal cleaning products used. This work will be linked to the joint technological network Chlean, devoted to the hygiene of equipment in the food industry, in which the two laboratories are already involved.

Development of detection tools

The goal of the UMT is to develop tools that can be used routinely by producers and food manufacturers to identify the strains of bacteria present at the different stages of food production, from breeding to finished products. ” It’s about optimizing and simplifying the tools we have for research, to enable technical institutes to identify both the virulence and persistence capacity of strains simply by harvesting bacteria from surfaces. using sampling swabs. », explains Sophie Roussel, co-host of the UMT and scientist of the food safety laboratory. These analyzes aim toadapt the cleaning and disinfection process to the characteristics of the bacterial strains likely to be found in agro-industrial environments, for example by using the most effective disinfectant products against the bacteria present in these factories.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Salmonella

Spain – Spanish agency defends actions in Salmonella outbreak investigation

Posted on January 21, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Spanish officials have said steps taken in response to more than a dozen Salmonella infections were “sufficient and proportionate” to protect public health.

Two outbreaks affected 14 people at two elderly care homes in Madrid late this past year and were linked to chicken burger meat. No information has been made public about the patients, such as their ages or severity of their illnesses.

The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) said that because the supply chain of the products involved wholesale and they were not directly sold to the final consumer, the information about the incident was sent via official control channels and it was not considered necessary to publically warn about the existence of items in the market that may have posed a risk to health. This means names of the firms involved have been kept private.

In late December 2021, consumer group FACUA called for the companies involved to be named and details released to identify the contaminated meat to prevent more people from becoming ill.

The association wrote to AESAN and the Ministry of Health in Madrid about the lack of transparency given the potential seriousness of the situation.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Research, Salmonella