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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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Batalha EY, Monte DFM, Landgraf M. Absence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in organic leafy greens from the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:2253-2258. [PMID: 37464187 PMCID: PMC10484845 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-01068-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important pathogen with public health implications, including its potential association with vegetables. In this study, we investigated the presence of STEC in vegetables obtained from organic producers located in São Paulo city, Brazil. As part of a routine surveillance study conducted over (years of isolation), a total of 200 samples of organic vegetables were screened using biochemical and PCR methods. Among the vegetable samples tested, 30 (15%) were positive for non-Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. While no STEC was detected in the organic vegetables in this study, the presence of non-STEC in vegetables raises concerns about the lack of proper hygiene practices during vegetable handling. This contamination represents a public health risk, particularly considering that these isolates can still be pathogenic, and vegetables are often consumed raw. To address this important issue, continuous monitoring of these farms is recommended to ensure the quality and safety of organic vegetables produced for both domestic consumption and exportation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Y Batalha
- Food Research Center, Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580, B14, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Daniel F M Monte
- Food Research Center, Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580, B14, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil.
| | - Mariza Landgraf
- Food Research Center, Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580, B14, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil.
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Galarce N, Sánchez F, Escobar B, Lapierre L, Cornejo J, Alegría-Morán R, Neira V, Martínez V, Johnson T, Fuentes-Castillo D, Sano E, Lincopan N. Genomic Epidemiology of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from the Livestock-Food-Human Interface in South America. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11071845. [PMID: 34206206 PMCID: PMC8300192 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic pathogens that cause food-borne diseases in humans, where cattle and derived products play a key role as reservoirs and vehicles. We analyzed the genomic data of STEC strains circulating at the livestock-food-human interface in South America, extracting clinically and epidemiologically relevant information (serotypes, virulome, resistance genes, sequence types, and phylogenomics). This study included 130 STEC genomes obtained from cattle (n = 51), beef (n = 48), and human (n = 31) samples. The successful expansion of O157:H7 (ST11) and non-O157 (ST16, ST21, ST223, ST443, ST677, ST679, ST2388) clones is highlighted, suggesting common activities, such as multilateral trade and travel. Circulating STEC strains analyzed exhibit high genomic diversity and harbor several genetic determinants associated with severe illness in humans, highlighting the need to establish official surveillance of this pathogen that should be focused on detecting molecular determinants of virulence and clonal relatedness, in the whole beef production chain. Abstract Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic pathogens responsible for causing food-borne diseases in humans. While South America has the highest incidence of human STEC infections, information about the genomic characteristics of the circulating strains is scarce. The aim of this study was to analyze genomic data of STEC strains isolated in South America from cattle, beef, and humans; predicting the antibiotic resistome, serotypes, sequence types (STs), clonal complexes (CCs) and phylogenomic backgrounds. A total of 130 whole genome sequences of STEC strains were analyzed, where 39.2% were isolated from cattle, 36.9% from beef, and 23.8% from humans. The ST11 was the most predicted (20.8%) and included O-:H7 (10.8%) and O157:H7 (10%) serotypes. The successful expansion of non-O157 clones such as ST16/CC29-O111:H8 and ST21/CC29-O26:H11 is highlighted, suggesting multilateral trade and travel. Virulome analyses showed that the predominant stx subtype was stx2a (54.6%); most strains carried ehaA (96.2%), iha (91.5%) and lpfA (77.7%) genes. We present genomic data that can be used to support the surveillance of STEC strains circulating at the livestock-food-human interface in South America, in order to control the spread of critical clones “from farm to table”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Galarce
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile; (F.S.); (B.E.); (L.L.); (J.C.); (R.A.-M.); (V.N.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Fernando Sánchez
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile; (F.S.); (B.E.); (L.L.); (J.C.); (R.A.-M.); (V.N.)
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Silvoagropecuarias y Veterinarias, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile
| | - Beatriz Escobar
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile; (F.S.); (B.E.); (L.L.); (J.C.); (R.A.-M.); (V.N.)
| | - Lisette Lapierre
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile; (F.S.); (B.E.); (L.L.); (J.C.); (R.A.-M.); (V.N.)
| | - Javiera Cornejo
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile; (F.S.); (B.E.); (L.L.); (J.C.); (R.A.-M.); (V.N.)
| | - Raúl Alegría-Morán
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile; (F.S.); (B.E.); (L.L.); (J.C.); (R.A.-M.); (V.N.)
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Ambientales, Universidad Pedro de Valdivia, Santiago 8370007, Chile
| | - Víctor Neira
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile; (F.S.); (B.E.); (L.L.); (J.C.); (R.A.-M.); (V.N.)
| | - Víctor Martínez
- Departamento de Fomento de la Producción Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile;
| | - Timothy Johnson
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA;
| | - Danny Fuentes-Castillo
- Departamento de Patología, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil;
| | - Elder Sano
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil; (E.S.); (N.L.)
| | - Nilton Lincopan
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil; (E.S.); (N.L.)
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Travert B, Rafat C, Mariani P, Cointe A, Dossier A, Coppo P, Joseph A. Shiga Toxin-Associated Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome: Specificities of Adult Patients and Implications for Critical Care Management. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:306. [PMID: 33925836 PMCID: PMC8145702 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13050306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (STEC-HUS) is a form of thrombotic microangiopathy secondary to an infection by an enterohemorrhagic E. coli. Historically considered a pediatric disease, its presentation has been described as typical, with bloody diarrhea at the forefront. However, in adults, the clinical presentation is more diverse and makes the early diagnosis hazardous. In this review, we review the epidemiology, most important outbreaks, physiopathology, clinical presentation and prognosis of STEC-HUS, focusing on the differential features between pediatric and adult disease. We show that the clinical presentation of STEC-HUS in adults is far from typical and marked by the prevalence of neurological symptoms and a poorer prognosis. Of note, we highlight knowledge gaps and the need for studies dedicated to adult patients. The differences between pediatric and adult patients have implications for the treatment of this disease, which remains a public health threat and lack a specific treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Travert
- Service de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75018 Paris, France; (B.T.); (A.D.)
- Centre de Référence des Microangiopathies Thrombotiques (CNR-MAT), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, 75012 Paris, France; (C.R.); (P.C.)
| | - Cédric Rafat
- Centre de Référence des Microangiopathies Thrombotiques (CNR-MAT), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, 75012 Paris, France; (C.R.); (P.C.)
- Urgences Néphrologiques et Transplantation Rénale, Hôpital Tenon, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75020 Paris, France
| | - Patricia Mariani
- Service de Microbiologie, Hôpital Robert Debré, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75019 Paris, France; (P.M.); (A.C.)
| | - Aurélie Cointe
- Service de Microbiologie, Hôpital Robert Debré, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75019 Paris, France; (P.M.); (A.C.)
| | - Antoine Dossier
- Service de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75018 Paris, France; (B.T.); (A.D.)
- Centre de Référence des Microangiopathies Thrombotiques (CNR-MAT), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, 75012 Paris, France; (C.R.); (P.C.)
| | - Paul Coppo
- Centre de Référence des Microangiopathies Thrombotiques (CNR-MAT), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, 75012 Paris, France; (C.R.); (P.C.)
- Service d’Hématologie, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Adrien Joseph
- Centre de Référence des Microangiopathies Thrombotiques (CNR-MAT), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, 75012 Paris, France; (C.R.); (P.C.)
- Médecine Intensive Réanimation, Hôpital Saint Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75010 Paris, France
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Équipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Inserm U1138, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, 75006 Paris, France
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