Outbreak of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium phage type DT41 in Danish poultry production

Fructose-enabled killing of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella enteritidis by gentamicin: Insight from reprogramming metabolomics

Salmonella enterica is a food-borne pathogen that poses a severe threat to both poultry production and human health. Antibiotics are critical for the initial treatment of bacterial infections. However, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics results in the rapid evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and the discovery and development of new antibiotics are declining. Therefore, understanding antibiotic resistance mechanisms and developing novel control measures are essential. In the present study, GC-MS-based metabolomics analysis was performed to determine the metabolic profile of gentamicin sensitive (SE-S) and resistant (SE-R) S. enterica. Fructose was identified as a crucial biomarker. Further analysis demonstrated a global depressed central carbon metabolism and energy metabolism in SE-R. The decrease in the pyruvate cycle reduces the production of NADH and ATP, causing a decrease in membrane potential, which contributes to gentamicin resistance. Exogenous fructose potentiated the effectiveness of gentamicin in killing SE-R by promoting the pyruvate cycle, NADH, ATP and membrane potential, thereby increasing gentamicin intake. Further, fructose plus gentamicin improved the survival rate of chicken infected with gentamicin-resistant Salmonella in vivo. Given that metabolite structures are conserved across species, fructose identified from bacteria could be used as a biomarker for breeding disease-resistant phenotypes in chicken. Therefore, a novel strategy is proposed for fighting against antibiotic-resistant S. enterica, including exploring molecules suppressed by antibiotics and providing a new approach to find pathogen targets for disease resistance in chicken breeding.

Modeling the Reduction of Salmonella spp. on Chicken Breasts and Wingettes during Scalding for QMRA of the Poultry Supply Chain in China

The objective of this study was to develop predictive models for describing the inoculated Salmonella reductions on chicken during the scalding process in China. Salmonella reductions on chicken breasts at a 100 s treatment were 1.12 ± 0.07, 1.38 ± 0.01, and 2.17 ± 0.11 log CFU/g at scalding temperatures of 50, 60 and 70 °C, respectively. For chicken wingettes, 0.87 ± 0.02, 0.99 ± 0.14 and 1.11 ± 0.17 log CFU/g reductions were obtained at 50, 60 and 70 °C after the 100 s treatment, respectively. Greater bacterial reductions were observed on chicken breasts than on chicken wingettes (p < 0.05). A logistic (−1.12, 0.06) distribution could describe the bacterial reductions on chicken breasts at 50–60 °C. Weibull, exponential and log-linear models were compared for describing the bacterial reduction on chicken breasts at 70 °C and the Weibull model showed the best fit as indicated by the pseudo-R², root mean square error (RMSE) and standard error of prediction (SEP) values. For chicken wingettes, a logistic (−0.95, 0.07) distribution could be used to describe the bacterial reduction at 50–70 °C. The developed predictive models could provide parts of the input data for microbial risk assessment of the poultry supply chain in China.

Antimicrobial and Synergistic Activity of 2,2',4-Trihydroxybenzophenone Against Bacterial Pathogens of Poultry

In poultry farming, the spread of bacterial pathogens results in disease outbreaks causing significant economic losses to this industry. Many of these pathogenic bacteria are zoonotic and have a substantial impact on public health. Antimicrobials are essential for the prevention and treatment of these bacterial infections. However, the indiscriminate use of these agents provides favorable conditions for selection, propagation and persistence of bacteria and development of antimicrobial resistance. We developed a new antimicrobial candidate that could be used alone or in synergy with research protocols for therapeutic, prophylactic and growth promoter uses in the poultry industry. The present study aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial activity of the synthetic compound 2,2′,4-trihydroxybenzophenone against pathogenic bacteria that cause important diseases in poultry and public health. We tested the hemolytic effect of this compound, studied its synergistic effect with conventional antimicrobials and analyzed the site of action on the bacteria. The results of our study showed antimicrobial activity of benzophenone against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with a similar effect in ATCC (American type culture collection) and field isolates. This compound was non-hemolytic. 2,2′,4-trihydroxybenzophenone acted on the bacterial cell wall. We identified the synergistic effect between 2,2′,4-trihydroxybenzophenone and bacitracin, this effect indicate that antimicrobial synergism may be useful for the treatment of necrotic enteritis in poultry. This compound may also be used as a growth promoter by reducing the dose of bacitracin and thus decreasing the pressure of bacterial resistance in poultry which would circumvent the development of cross-resistance in humans.

Use of multiple-locus variable-number of tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) to investigate genetic diversity of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates from human, food, and veterinary sources

Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium is the most common zoonotic pathogen in Bulgaria. To allow efficient outbreak investigations and surveillance in the food chain, accurate and discriminatory methods for typing are needed. This study evaluated the use of multiple-locus variable-number of tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) and compared results with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinations for 100 S. Typhimurium strains isolated in Bulgaria during 2008-2012 (50 veterinary/food and 50 human isolates). Results showed that isolates were divided into 80 and 34 groups using MLVA and AMR, respectively. Simpson's index of diversity was determined to 0.994 ± 0.003 and 0.945 ± 0.012. The most frequently encountered MLVA profiles were 3-11-9-NA-211 (n = 5); 3-12-9-NA-211 (n = 3); 3-12-11-21-311 (n = 3); 3-17-10-NA-311 (n = 3); 2-20-9-7-212 (n = 3); and 2-23-NA-NA-111 (n = 3). No clustering of isolates related to susceptibility/resistance to antimicrobials, source of isolation, or year of isolation was observed. Some MLVA types were found in both human and veterinary/food isolates, indicating a possible route of transmission. A majority (83%) of the isolates were found to be resistant against at least one antimicrobial and 44% against ≥4 antimicrobials. Further studies are needed to verify MLVA usefulness over a longer period of time and with more isolates, including outbreak strains.

Observations on the distribution and control of Salmonella in commercial duck hatcheries in the UK

Salmonella infection causes a significant number of cases of gastroenteritis and more serious illnesses in people in the UK and EU. The serovars Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium are most frequently associated with foodborne illness in Europe. Whilst control programmes exist to monitor these serovars in the chicken and turkey sectors, no regulatory programme is currently in place for the duck sector. A voluntary industry scheme (Duck Assurance Scheme) was launched in the UK in 2010. Hatcheries act as focal points of Salmonella contamination, in particular if Salmonella-contaminated eggs from positive breeding farms enter the hatchery. Five duck hatcheries were visited in this study and four were positive for Salmonella. S. Typhimurium DT8 and S. Indiana were isolated from hatchery 1 and S. Typhimurium DT41 and S. Senftenberg were isolated from hatchery 3. S. Kottbus, S. Bovismorbificans and S. Senftenberg were isolated from hatchery 2 and S. Kedougou was isolated from hatchery 4. Advice on the control/elimination of Salmonella was provided at each visit and a longitudinal study was undertaken to monitor its effectiveness. Extensive sampling was carried out in the hatcheries visited and the tray wash area and waste/external areas had the highest probability of being contaminated. The hatcher area was also found to be a primary focus of contamination. Improvements of farm and hatchery biosecurity standards have resulted in a reduction of hatchery contamination in this study and in previous investigations. Hatcheries 1 and 5 were cleared of Salmonella, demonstrating that elimination of Salmonella contamination from duck hatcheries is achievable.

Predicting Salmonella Typhimurium reductions in poultry ground carcasses

To improve understanding of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 inactivation in ground poultry carcasses, a series of experiments were carried out at multiple temperatures. Subsequently, a non-linear model was developed to predict Salmonella inactivation at composting and low rendering temperatures. The Salmonella inactivation study was conducted using bench-top experiments at 38, 48, 55, 62.5, 70, and 78°C in mixed and non-mixed reactors using ground poultry carcasses as a feedstock. Subsequently, these observations were used for developing a non-linear model. The model predictions were compared with the observations of a different set of experiments. The comparisons among predictions and observations showed that the model predictions are reasonable and can be useful to determine the time required for Salmonella inactivation in poultry carcasses at multiple temperatures. Results showed that at composting conditions, when temperature varies between 48 and 62.5°C, Salmonella survival can prolong between 10,000 and 25,000 min (7 to 17 d). If ambient temperature is maintained at low temperature rendering range (70 to 78°C), then Salmonella survival can last for 90 to 120 minutes. We anticipate that this study will help in improving the existing understanding of Salmonella survival in poultry carcasses.

Prevalence and molecular characterization of Salmonella enterica isolates throughout an integrated broiler supply chain in China

A total of 1145 samples were collected from chicken breeder farms, hatcheries, broiler farms, a slaughterhouse and retail refrigerated chicken stores in an integrated broiler supply chain in Guangdong Province, China, in 2013. One-hundred and two Salmonella enterica strains were isolated and subjected to serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, virulence profile determination and molecular subtyping by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The contamination rates in samples from breeder farms, hatcheries, broiler farms, the slaughterhouse and retail stores were 1·46%, 4·31%, 7·00%, 62·86% and 54·67%, respectively. The isolated strains of S. enterica belonged to 10 serotypes; most of them were S. Weltevreden (46·08%, 47/102) and S. Agona (18·63%, 19/102). Isolates were frequently resistant to streptomycin (38·2%), tetracycline (36·3%), sulfisoxazole (35·3%) and gentamicin (34·3%); 31·4% of isolates were multidrug resistant. The isolates were screened for 10 virulence factors. The Salmonella pathogenicity island genes avrA, ssaQ, mgtC, siiD, and sopB and the fimbrial gene bcfC were present in 100% of the strains. PFGE genotyping of the 102 S. enterica isolates yielded 24 PFGE types at an 85% similarity threshold. The PFGE patterns show that the genotypes of S. enterica in the production chain are very diverse, but some strains have 100% similarity in different parts of the production chain, which indicates that some S. enterica persist throughout the broiler supply chain.