1
|
Papadopoulos T, Allende A, Egea JA, Palop Gómez A, Fernández Escámez PS. Training in tools to develop quantitative risk assessment of fresh produce using water reuse systems in Mediterranean production. EFSA J 2022; 20:e200416. [PMID: 35634549 PMCID: PMC9131601 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2022.e200416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
|
2
|
Dagher LA, Hassan J, Kharroubi S, Jaafar H, Kassem II. Nationwide Assessment of Water Quality in Rivers across Lebanon by Quantifying Fecal Indicators Densities and Profiling Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10070883. [PMID: 34356804 PMCID: PMC8300662 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10070883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of contaminated water has been associated with severe disease outbreaks. Due to widespread pollution with untreated sewage, concerns have been raised over water quality in Lebanon, a country with well-documented challenges in infrastructure. Here, we evaluated the water quality of major rivers in Lebanon by quantifying the densities of fecal indicator bacteria (fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli). Additionally, we assessed the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in river water. Composite water samples (n = 132) were collected from fourteen rivers, and 378 E. coli were isolated and analyzed. Fecal coliforms and E. coli were detected in 96.29% and 95.5% of the samples, respectively. Additionally, 73.48–61.3% and 31.81% of the samples exceeded the microbiological acceptability standards for irrigation and the fecal coliform limit for recreational activities, respectively. The E. coli exhibited resistance to ampicillin (40% of isolates), amoxicillin + clavulanic acid (42%), cefepime (4%), cefotaxime (14%), cefalexin (46%), cefixime (17%), doripenem (0.3%), imipenem (0.5%), gentamicin (6%), kanamycin (9%), streptomycin (35%), tetracycline (35%), ciprofloxacin (10%), norfloxacin (7%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (32%), and chloramphenicol (13%). Notably, 45.8% of the isolates were classified as multidrug resistant (MDR). Our results highlight the need to urgently address fecal pollution and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance in Lebanese rivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lea A. Dagher
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (L.A.D.); (S.K.)
| | - Jouman Hassan
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 30223, USA;
| | - Samer Kharroubi
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (L.A.D.); (S.K.)
| | - Hadi Jaafar
- Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon;
| | - Issmat I. Kassem
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon; (L.A.D.); (S.K.)
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 30223, USA;
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Solaiman S, Micallef SA. Aeromonas spp. diversity in U.S. mid-Atlantic surface and reclaimed water, seasonal dynamics, virulence gene patterns and attachment to lettuce. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 779:146472. [PMID: 34030273 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Aeromonas, a ubiquitous taxon in water environments, is emerging as a foodborne pathogen of concern that remains understudied and under-reported. We evaluated the distribution of 331 Aeromonas spp. isolates collected from irrigation water over one year and characterised their virulence profile, attachment and ability to persist on lettuce. Water sources included non-tidal and tidal river, farm pond and reclaimed water. Twenty Aeromonas species were identified; A. veronii, A. hydrophila and A. jandaei predominated in all water types and seasons, comprising ~63% of isolates. Species distribution was most affected by water type. The highest and lowest diversity were detected in river and pond water, respectively. A. hydrophila and A. veronii ranked highest in frequency in fresh river and reclaimed water, while A. jandaei ranked first in pond water. Only two isolates carried all five virulence genes tested, while 46% of A. hydrophila (n = 50), 54% of A. veronii (n = 61) and 50% of A. jandaei (n = 32) isolates harboured multiple enterotoxin genes. Detection of alt and ast genes was more likely in summer collections, while ast detection was less likely in tidal brackish river and pond water isolates. Season was a factor in attachment to polystyrene, being strongest in spring isolates. The gene flaA was associated with strong attachment and was more likely to be detected in non-tidal fresh river isolates. A. hydrophila and A. jandaei isolates persisted on lettuce leaves for 24 h, but populations dwindled over 120 h, while loosely and strongly attached cells of A. veronii isolates persisted for 120 h. This study provides comprehensive data on Aeromonas species distribution and environmental traits. The associations revealed among diversity, water type, season, virulence factors and phyllosphere attachment capacity can inform agricultural water standards in novel ways. Moreover, understanding Aeromonas-plant interactions is an important step in advancing food safety of fruit and vegetables.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sultana Solaiman
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Shirley A Micallef
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Centre for Food Safety and Security Systems, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Marshall KE, Hexemer A, Seelman SL, Fatica MK, Blessington T, Hajmeer M, Kisselburgh H, Atkinson R, Hill K, Sharma D, Needham M, Peralta V, Higa J, Blickenstaff K, Williams IT, Jhung MA, Wise M, Gieraltowski L. Lessons Learned from a Decade of Investigations of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Outbreaks Linked to Leafy Greens, United States and Canada. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 26:2319-2328. [PMID: 32946367 PMCID: PMC7510726 DOI: 10.3201/eid2610.191418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) cause substantial and costly illnesses. Leafy greens are the second most common source of foodborne STEC O157 outbreaks. We examined STEC outbreaks linked to leafy greens during 2009-2018 in the United States and Canada. We identified 40 outbreaks, 1,212 illnesses, 77 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome, and 8 deaths. More outbreaks were linked to romaine lettuce (54%) than to any other type of leafy green. More outbreaks occurred in the fall (45%) and spring (28%) than in other seasons. Barriers in epidemiologic and traceback investigations complicated identification of the ultimate outbreak source. Research on the seasonality of leafy green outbreaks and vulnerability to STEC contamination and bacterial survival dynamics by leafy green type are warranted. Improvements in traceability of leafy greens are also needed. Federal and state health partners, researchers, the leafy green industry, and retailers can work together on interventions to reduce STEC contamination.
Collapse
|
5
|
Weller D, Belias A, Green H, Roof S, Wiedmann M. Landscape, Water Quality, and Weather Factors Associated With an Increased Likelihood of Foodborne Pathogen Contamination of New York Streams Used to Source Water for Produce Production. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2020; 3:124. [PMID: 32440656 PMCID: PMC7241490 DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2019.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a need for science-based tools to (i) help manage microbial produce safety hazards associated with preharvest surface water use, and (ii) facilitate comanagement of agroecosystems for competing stakeholder aims. To develop these tools an improved understanding of foodborne pathogen ecology in freshwater systems is needed. The purpose of this study was to identify (i) sources of potential food safety hazards, and (ii) combinations of factors associated with an increased likelihood of pathogen contamination of agricultural water Sixty-eight streams were sampled between April and October 2018 (196 samples). At each sampling event separate 10-L grab samples (GS) were collected and tested for Listeria, Salmonella, and the stx and eaeA genes. A 1-L GS was also collected and used for Escherichia coli enumeration and detection of four host-associated fecal source-tracking markers (FST). Regression analysis was used to identify individual factors that were significantly associated with pathogen detection. We found that eaeA-stx codetection [Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.2; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.3, 13.4] and Salmonella isolation (OR = 1.8; CI = 0.9, 3.5) were strongly associated with detection of ruminant and human FST markers, respectively, while Listeria spp. (excluding Listeria monocytogenes) was negatively associated with log10 E. coli levels (OR = 0.50; CI = 0.26, 0.96). L. monocytogenes isolation was not associated with the detection of any fecal indicators. This observation supports the current understanding that, unlike enteric pathogens, Listeria is not fecally-associated and instead originates from other environmental sources. Separately, conditional inference trees were used to identify scenarios associated with an elevated or reduced risk of pathogen contamination. Interestingly, while the likelihood of isolating L. monocytogenes appears to be driven by complex interactions between environmental factors, the likelihood of Salmonella isolation and eaeA-stx codetection were driven by physicochemical water quality (e.g., dissolved oxygen) and temperature, respectively. Overall, these models identify environmental conditions associated with an enhanced risk of pathogen presence in agricultural water (e.g., rain events were associated with L. monocytogenes isolation from samples collected downstream of dairy farms; P = 0.002). The information presented here will enable growers to comanage their operations to mitigate the produce safety risks associated with preharvest surface water use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Weller
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Alexandra Belias
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Hyatt Green
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Sherry Roof
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Martin Wiedmann
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lee D, Tertuliano M, Vellidis G, Harris C, Grossman MK, Rajeev S, Levy K. Evaluation of Grower-Friendly, Science-Based Sampling Approaches for the Detection of Salmonella in Ponds Used for Irrigation of Fresh Produce. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2018; 15:627-636. [PMID: 30334659 PMCID: PMC6201782 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2018.2441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The recognition that irrigation water sources contribute to preharvest contamination of produce has led to new regulations on testing microbial water quality. To best identify contamination problems, growers who depend on irrigation ponds need guidance on how and where to collect water samples for testing. In this study, we evaluated several sampling strategies to identify Salmonella and Escherichia coli contamination in five ponds used for irrigation on produce farms in southern Georgia. Both Salmonella and E. coli were detected regularly in all the ponds over the 19-month study period, with overall prevalence and concentrations increasing in late summer and early fall. Of 507 water samples, 217 (42.8%) were positive for Salmonella, with a very low geometric mean (GM) concentration of 0.06 most probable number (MPN)/100 mL, and 442 (87.1%) tested positive for E. coli, with a GM of 6.40 MPN/100 mL. We found no significant differences in Salmonella or E. coli detection rates or concentrations between sampling at the bank closest to the pump intake versus sampling from the bank around the pond perimeter, when comparing with results from the pump intake, which we considered our gold standard. However, samples collected from the bank closest to the intake had a greater level of agreement with the intake (Cohen's kappa statistic = 0.53; p < 0.001) than the samples collected around the pond perimeter (kappa = 0.34; p = 0.009). E. coli concentrations were associated with increased odds of Salmonella detection (odds ratio = 1.31; 95% confidence interval = 1.10-1.56). All the ponds would have met the Produce Safety Rule standards for E. coli, although Salmonella was also detected. Results from this study provide important information to growers and regulators about pathogen detection in irrigation ponds and inform best practices for surface water sampling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Debbie Lee
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Moukaram Tertuliano
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Tifton, Georgia
| | - George Vellidis
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Tifton, Georgia
| | - Casey Harris
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Tifton, Georgia
| | - Marissa K. Grossman
- Program in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sreekumari Rajeev
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory, Tifton, Georgia
| | - Karen Levy
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nadya S, Delaquis P, Chen J, Allen K, Johnson RP, Ziebell K, Laing C, Gannon V, Bach S, Topp E. Phenotypic and Genotypic Characteristics of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from Surface Waters and Sediments in a Canadian Urban-Agricultural Landscape. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2016; 6:36. [PMID: 27092297 PMCID: PMC4820441 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2016.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A hydrophobic grid membrane filtration-Shiga toxin immunoblot method was used to examine the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in four watersheds located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada, a region characterized by rapid urbanization and intensive agricultural activity. STEC were recovered from 21.6, 23.2, 19.5, and 9.2% of surface water samples collected monthly from five sites in each watershed over a period of 1 year. Overall prevalence was subject to seasonal variation however, ranging between 13.3% during fall months and 34.3% during winter months. STEC were also recovered from 23.8% of sediment samples collected in one randomly selected site. One hundred distinct STEC isolates distributed among 29 definitive and 4 ambiguous or indeterminate serotypes were recovered from water and sediments, including isolates from Canadian "priority" serogroups O157 (3), O26 (4), O103 (5), and O111 (7). Forty seven isolates were further characterized by analysis of whole genome sequences to detect Shiga toxin gene (stx 1 and stx 2), intimin gene (eaeA) allelic variants and acquired virulence factors. These analyses collectively showed that surface waters from the region support highly diverse STEC populations that include strains with virulence factors commonly associated with human pathotypes. The present work served to characterize the microbiological hazard implied by STEC to support future assessments of risks to public health arising from non-agricultural and agricultural uses of surface water resources in the region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Nadya
- Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Pascal Delaquis
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland Research and Development CentreSummerland, BC, Canada
| | - Jessica Chen
- Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kevin Allen
- Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Roger P. Johnson
- Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory at GuelphGuelph, ON, Canada
| | - Kim Ziebell
- Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory at GuelphGuelph, ON, Canada
| | - Chad Laing
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of CanadaLethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Victor Gannon
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of CanadaLethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Susan Bach
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland Research and Development CentreSummerland, BC, Canada
| | - Edward Topp
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development CentreLondon, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|