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Thomas GA, Paradell Gil T, Müller CT, Rogers HJ, Berger CN. From field to plate: How do bacterial enteric pathogens interact with ready-to-eat fruit and vegetables, causing disease outbreaks? Food Microbiol 2024; 117:104389. [PMID: 37919001 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2023.104389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Ready-to-eat fruit and vegetables are a convenient source of nutrients and fibre for consumers, and are generally safe to eat, but are vulnerable to contamination with human enteric bacterial pathogens. Over the last decade, Salmonella spp., pathogenic Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes have been linked to most of the bacterial outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with fresh produce. The origins of these outbreaks have been traced to multiple sources of contamination from pre-harvest (soil, seeds, irrigation water, domestic and wild animal faecal matter) or post-harvest operations (storage, preparation and packaging). These pathogens have developed multiple processes for successful attachment, survival and colonization conferring them the ability to adapt to multiple environments. However, these processes differ across bacterial strains from the same species, and across different plant species or cultivars. In a competitive environment, additional risk factors are the plant microbiome phyllosphere and the plant responses; both factors directly modulate the survival of the pathogens on the leaf's surface. Understanding the mechanisms involved in bacterial attachment to, colonization of, and proliferation, on fresh produce and the role of the plant in resisting bacterial contamination is therefore crucial to reducing future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth A Thomas
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Teresa Paradell Gil
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Carsten T Müller
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Hilary J Rogers
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Cedric N Berger
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.
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Wind Speed and Landscape Context Mediate Campylobacter Risk among Poultry Reared in Open Environments. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030492. [PMID: 36766380 PMCID: PMC9913591 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Foodborne pathogens cause over 9 million illnesses in the United States each year, and Campylobacter from chickens is the largest contributor. Rearing poultry outdoors without the use of antibiotics is becoming an increasingly popular style of farming; however, little is understood about how environmental factors and farm management alter pathogen prevalence. Our survey of 27 farms in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, USA, revealed a diversity of management practices used to rear poultry in the open environment. Here, we assess environmental and management factors that impact Campylobacter spp. prevalence in 962 individual chicken fecal samples from 62 flocks over a three-year period. We detected Campylobacter spp. in 250/962 (26.0%) of fecal samples screened, in 69.4% (43/62) of flocks, and on 85.2% (23/27) of farms. We found that Campylobacter spp. prevalence was predicted to increase in poultry on farms with higher average wind speeds in the seven days preceding sampling; on farms embedded in more agricultural landscapes; and in flocks typified by younger birds, more rotations, higher flock densities, and the production of broilers. Collectively, our results suggest that farms in areas with higher wind speeds and more surrounding agriculture face greater risk of Campylobacter spp. introduction into their flocks.
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Ray R, Singh P. Prevalence and Implications of Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli in Farm and Wild Ruminants. Pathogens 2022; 11:1332. [PMID: 36422584 PMCID: PMC9694250 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a food-borne pathogen that causes human gastrointestinal infections across the globe, leading to kidney failure or even death in severe cases. E. coli are commensal members of humans and animals' (cattle, bison, and pigs) guts, however, may acquire Shiga-toxin-encoded phages. This acquisition or colonization by STEC may lead to dysbiosis in the intestinal microbial community of the host. Wildlife and livestock animals can be asymptomatically colonized by STEC, leading to pathogen shedding and transmission. Furthermore, there has been a steady uptick in new STEC variants representing various serotypes. These, along with hybrids of other pathogenic E. coli (UPEC and ExPEC), are of serious concern, especially when they possess enhanced antimicrobial resistance, biofilm formation, etc. Recent studies have reported these in the livestock and food industry with minimal focus on wildlife. Disturbed natural habitats and changing climates are increasingly creating wildlife reservoirs of these pathogens, leading to a rise in zoonotic infections. Therefore, this review comprehensively surveyed studies on STEC prevalence in livestock and wildlife hosts. We further present important microbial and environmental factors contributing to STEC spread as well as infections. Finally, we delve into potential strategies for limiting STEC shedding and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115, USA
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Olimpi EM, Daly H, Garcia K, Glynn VM, Gonthier DJ, Kremen C, M'Gonigle LK, Karp DS. Interactive effects of multiscale diversification practices on farmland bird stress. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13902. [PMID: 35212020 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Farmland diversification practices (i.e., methods used to produce food sustainably by enhancing biodiversity in cropping systems) are sometimes considered beneficial to both agriculture and biodiversity, but most studies of these practices rely on species richness, diversity, or abundance as a proxy for habitat quality. Biodiversity assessments may miss early clues that populations are imperiled when species presence does not imply persistence. Physiological stress indicators may help identify low-quality habitats before population declines occur. We explored how avian stress indicators respond to on-farm management practices and surrounding seminatural area (1-km radius) across 21 California strawberry farms. We examined whether commonly used biodiversity metrics correlate with stress responses in wild birds. We used ∼1000 blood and feather samples and body mass and wing chord measurements, mostly from passerines, to test the effects of diversification practices on four physiological stress indicators: heterophil to lymphocyte ratios (H:L), body condition, hematocrit values, and feather growth rates of individual birds. We then tested the relationship between physiological stress indicators and species richness, abundance, occurrence, and diversity derived from 285 bird point count surveys. After accounting for other biological drivers, landscape context mediated the effect of local farm management on H:L and body condition. Local diversification practices were associated with reduced individual stress in intensive agricultural landscapes but increased it in landscapes surrounded by relatively more seminatural area. Feathers grew more slowly in landscapes dominated by strawberry production, suggesting that nutritional condition was lower here than in landscapes with more crop types and seminatural areas. We found scant evidence that species richness, abundance, occurrence, or diversity metrics were correlated with the individual's physiological stress, suggesting that reliance on these metrics may obscure the impacts of management on species persistence. Our findings underscore the importance of considering landscape context when designing local management strategies to promote wildlife conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa M Olimpi
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Hallie Daly
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Karina Garcia
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Victoria M Glynn
- Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - David J Gonthier
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Claire Kremen
- Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Leithen K M'Gonigle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daniel S Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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Smith OM, Olimpi EM, Navarro-Gonzalez N, Cornell KA, Frishkoff LO, Northfield TD, Bowles TM, Edworthy M, Eilers J, Fu Z, Garcia K, Gonthier DJ, Jones MS, Kennedy CM, Latimer CE, Owen JP, Sato C, Taylor JM, Wilson-Rankin EE, Snyder WE, Karp DS. A trait-based framework for predicting foodborne pathogen risk from wild birds. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2523. [PMID: 34921463 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recent foodborne illness outbreaks have heightened pressures on growers to deter wildlife from farms, jeopardizing conservation efforts. However, it remains unclear which species, particularly birds, pose the greatest risk to food safety. Using >11,000 pathogen tests and 1565 bird surveys covering 139 bird species from across the western United States, we examined the importance of 11 traits in mediating wild bird risk to food safety. We tested whether traits associated with pathogen exposure (e.g., habitat associations, movement, and foraging strategy) and pace-of-life (clutch size and generation length) mediated foodborne pathogen prevalence and proclivities to enter farm fields and defecate on crops. Campylobacter spp. were the most prevalent enteric pathogen (8.0%), while Salmonella and Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) were rare (0.46% and 0.22% prevalence, respectively). We found that several traits related to pathogen exposure predicted pathogen prevalence. Specifically, Campylobacter and STEC-associated virulence genes were more often detected in species associated with cattle feedlots and bird feeders, respectively. Campylobacter was also more prevalent in species that consumed plants and had longer generation lengths. We found that species associated with feedlots were more likely to enter fields and defecate on crops. Our results indicated that canopy-foraging insectivores were less likely to deposit foodborne pathogens on crops, suggesting growers may be able to promote pest-eating birds and birds of conservation concern (e.g., via nest boxes) without necessarily compromising food safety. As such, promoting insectivorous birds may represent a win-win-win for bird conservation, crop production, and food safety. Collectively, our results suggest that separating crop production from livestock farming may be the best way to lower food safety risks from birds. More broadly, our trait-based framework suggests a path forward for co-managing wildlife conservation and food safety risks in farmlands by providing a strategy for holistically evaluating the food safety risks of wild animals, including under-studied species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia M Smith
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Elissa M Olimpi
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | | | - Kevin A Cornell
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Luke O Frishkoff
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Tobin D Northfield
- Department of Entomology, Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Wenatchee, Washington, USA
- Centre for Tropical Environmental Sustainability Science, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Timothy M Bowles
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Max Edworthy
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Johnna Eilers
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Zhen Fu
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
- Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Karina Garcia
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - David J Gonthier
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Matthew S Jones
- Department of Entomology, Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Wenatchee, Washington, USA
| | - Christina M Kennedy
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Christopher E Latimer
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jeb P Owen
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Chika Sato
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Joseph M Taylor
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | | | - William E Snyder
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Daniel S Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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Smith OM, Kennedy CM, Echeverri A, Karp DS, Latimer CE, Taylor JM, Wilson‐Rankin EE, Owen JP, Snyder WE. Complex landscapes stabilize farm bird communities and their expected ecosystem services. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia M. Smith
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- School of Biological Sciences Washington State University Pullman WA USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - Christina M. Kennedy
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program The Nature Conservancy Fort Collins CO USA
| | - Alejandra Echeverri
- Center for Conservation Biology Stanford University Stanford CA USA
- The Natural Capital Project Stanford University Stanford CA USA
| | - Daniel S. Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California Davis CA USA
| | - Christopher E. Latimer
- Global Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters Program The Nature Conservancy Fort Collins CO USA
| | - Joseph M. Taylor
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Department of Entomology Washington State University Pullman WA USA
| | | | - Jeb P. Owen
- Department of Entomology Washington State University Pullman WA USA
| | - William E. Snyder
- Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Department of Entomology Washington State University Pullman WA USA
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