Prevalence of the main food-borne pathogens in retail food under the national food surveillance system in Japan

High-throughput microfluidic quantitative PCR system for the simultaneous detection of antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial and viral pathogens in wastewater

Comprehensive data on bacterial and viral pathogens of diarrhea and studies applying culture-independent methods for examining antibiotic resistance in wastewater are lacking. This study aimed to simultaneously quantify antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), class 1 integron-integrase (int1), bacterial and viral pathogens of diarrhea, 16S rRNA, and other indicators using a high-throughput quantitative PCR (HT-qPCR) system. Thirty-six grab wastewater samples from a wastewater treatment plant in Japan, collected three times a month between August 2022 and July 2023, were centrifuged, followed by nucleic acid extraction, reverse transcription, and HT-qPCR. Fourteen targets were included, and HT-qPCR was performed on the Biomark X9™ System (Standard BioTools). For all qPCR assays, R2 was ≥0.978 and the efficiencies ranged from 90.5% to 117.7%, exhibiting high performance. Of the 36 samples, 20 (56%) were positive for Norovirus genogroup II (NoV-GII), whereas Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter jejuni were detected in 24 (67%) and Campylobacter coli in 13 (36%) samples, with mean concentrations ranging from 3.2 ± 0.8 to 4.7 ± 0.3 log10 copies/L. NoV-GII detection ratios and concentrations were higher in winter and spring. None of the pathogens of diarrhea correlated with acute gastroenteritis cases, except for NoV-GII, suggesting the need for data on specific bacterial infections to validate bacterial wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). All samples tested positive for sul1, int1, and blaCTX-M, irrespective of season. The less explored blaNDM-1 showed a wide prevalence (>83%) and consistent abundance ranging from 4.3 ± 1.0 to 4.9 ± 0.2 log10 copies/L in all seasons. sul1 was the predominant ARG, whereas absolute abundances of 16S rRNA, int1, and blaCTX-M varied seasonally. int1 was significantly correlated with blaCTX-M in autumn and spring, whereas it showed no correlation with blaNDM-1, questioning the applicability of int1 as a sole indicator of overall resistance determinants. This study exhibited that the HT-qPCR system is pivotal for WBE.

The escalating threat of human-associated infectious bacteria in surface aquatic resources: Insights into prevalence, antibiotic resistance, survival mechanisms, detection, and prevention strategies

Anthropogenic activities and climate change profoundly impact water quality, leading to a concerning increase in the prevalence and abundance of bacterial pathogens across diverse aquatic environments. This rise has resulted in a growing challenge concerning the safety of water sources, particularly surface waters and marine environments. This comprehensive review delves into the multifaceted challenges presented by bacterial pathogens, emphasizing threads to human health within ground and surface waters, including marine ecosystems. The exploration encompasses the intricate survival mechanisms employed by bacterial pathogens and the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance, largely driven by human-generated antibiotic contamination in aquatic systems. The review further addresses prevalent pathogenic bacteria, elucidating associated risk factors, exploring their eco-physiology, and discussing the production of potent toxins. The spectrum of detection techniques, ranging from conventional to cutting-edge molecular approaches, is thoroughly examined to underscore their significance in identifying and understanding waterborne bacterial pathogens. A critical aspect highlighted in this review is the imperative for real-time monitoring of biomarkers associated with waterborne bacterial pathogens. This monitoring serves as an early warning system, facilitating the swift implementation of action plans to preserve and protect global water resources. In conclusion, this comprehensive review provides fresh insights and perspectives, emphasizing the paramount importance of preserving the quality of aquatic resources to safeguard human health on a global scale.

A One Health Perspective on Salmonella enterica Serovar Infantis, an Emerging Human Multidrug-Resistant Pathogen

Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis presents an ever-increasing threat to public health because of its spread throughout many countries and association with high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We analyzed whole-genome sequences of 5,284 Salmonella Infantis strains from 74 countries, isolated during 1989-2020 from a wide variety of human, animal, and food sources, to compare genetic phylogeny, AMR determinants, and plasmid presence. The global Salmonella Infantis population structure diverged into 3 clusters: a North American cluster, a European cluster, and a global cluster. The levels of AMR varied by Salmonella Infantis cluster and by isolation source; 73% of poultry isolates were multidrug resistant, compared with 35% of human isolates. This finding correlated with the presence of the pESI megaplasmid; 71% of poultry isolates contained pESI, compared with 32% of human isolates. This study provides key information for public health teams engaged in reducing the spread of this pathogen.

Prevalence and Abundance of Bacterial Pathogens of Concern in Shrimp, Catfish and Tilapia Obtained at Retail Stores in Maryland, USA

Outbreaks of human gastroenteritis have been linked to the consumption of contaminated domestic and imported seafood. This study investigated the microbiological quality of seafood obtained from retail stores on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. A total of 440 samples of domestic and imported frozen shrimp, catfish and tilapia samples were analyzed for aerobic plate count (APC), total coliforms, Escherichia coli and seafood-borne-pathogens (Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni). The prevalence of APC, coliforms and E. coli positive samples was 100%, 43% and 9.3%, respectively. Approximately 3.2%, 1.4%, 28.9% and 3.6% of the samples were positive for V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni, respectively. The MPN/g ranges were 150-1100 MPN/g for vibrios, 10-1100 MPN/g for Salmonella and 93-460 MPN/g for C. jejuni in seafood, respectively. Comparing bacterial prevalence by type or source of seafood, the only significant difference identified was Salmonella-positive imported tilapia (33.3%) versus domestic tilapia (19.4%). The quantitative data on pathogen levels in the present study provide additional information for quantitative risk assessment not available in previous surveys. The findings of this study suggest the association of potential food safety hazards with domestic and imported seafood and warrant further large-scale studies and risk assessment.

Anti-microbial resistance of Salmonella isolates from raw meat-based dog food in Japan

Background

Salmonella contamination of raw meat‐based diets (RMBDs) for pets poses a major public health concern but has not been investigated in Japan.

Objective

To investigate Salmonella contamination in RMBDs for dogs marketed in Japan and the anti‐microbial resistance profiles of the Salmonella isolates.

Methods

Sixty commercial RMBD samples were collected in the Okayama and Osaka Prefectures, Japan, between December 2016 and March 2017. The obtained Salmonella isolates were serotyped, their anti‐microbial resistance patterns were determined, and the anti‐microbial‐resistant isolates were screened for the presence of resistance genes by polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica was detected in seven of the 60 RMBD samples. Among them, five isolates were identified as S. Infantis (n = 3), S. Typhimurium (n = 1) and S. Schwarzengrund (n = 1), while the serotypes of two isolates were unable to be identified. All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, cefazolin, cefotaxime and gentamycin. Two isolates were resistant to more than one anti‐microbial agent; one of the S. Infantis isolates was resistant to streptomycin, kanamycin, tetracycline and trimethoprim, while the S. Typhimurium isolate was resistant to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol. The S. Schwarzengrund isolate was resistant to tetracycline. Additionally, the S. Typhimurium isolate harboured the anti‐microbial resistance gene gyrA with a mutation corresponding to Ser‐83→Phe amino acid substitution.

Conclusion

The study findings suggest that RMBDs for dogs marketed in Japan can be a potential source of Salmonella infection for dogs and humans including infections caused by quinolone‐resistant isolates.

The current study's objective was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella contamination in RMBD for dogs and the antimicrobial resistance profiles of these isolates. Therefore, the incidence of Salmonella contamination in RMBD for dogs currently sold in Japan was surveyed. Salmonella was detected in seven of the 60 raw food samples.

Active Bionanocomposite Coating Quality Assessments of Some Cucumber Properties with Some Diverse Applications during Storage Condition by Chitosan, Nano Titanium Oxide Crystals, and Sodium Tripolyphosphate

Cucumbers have a short shelf-life of about 14 days, they are perishable due to the high moisture content. This study aimed to study the effects of nano-coating material such as titanium nanoparticles and chitosan with the addition of sodium tripolyphosphate as a crosslinker to enhance cucumber quality during storage. Some essential physical, chemical, and biological parameters were determined. CH-Nano-ST (chitosan/nano titanium oxide crystals/sodium tripolyphosphate) retained the maximum greenness, −7.99, compared to CH-Nano samples, which recorded −7.31. CH-Nano (chitosan/nano titanium oxide crystals) remained the lightest, 44.38, and CH-Nano-ST was a little darker (43.73) compared to the others treatments. The discoloration was extra severe with control (22.30), which started to spoil after the end of the first week. After 21 days of the storage period at 10 °C, the reducing sugars content reduced to reach −0.64 g/100 g and −0.21 g/100 g for CH-Nano and CH-Nano-ST treatments, respectively. The CH-Nano-ST treatment presented a lower value of toughness, followed by CH-Nano at the end of the storage period. Moreover, the highest crispness index was detected for CH-Nano (5.12%), while CH-Nano-ST treatment had a slight decline to reach 4.92%. The biological results indicated that CH-Nano-ST treatment can be applied to delay the microbial contamination of Salmonella spp. in cucumbers as it reached 0.94 log CFU/g, while the CH-Nano treatment reached 1.09 log CFU/g, at the end of the storage period. In summary, nano-coating treatments with the addition of sodium tripolyphosphate can be applied to regulator postharvest quality measurements of the biological activities in cucumbers during storage at 10 °C until 21 days.

The Circulation of Type F Clostridium perfringens among Humans, Sewage, and Ruditapes philippinarum (Asari Clams)

Clostridium perfringens is an important pathogen that is responsible for gastroenteritis; the causative agent for the symptoms is C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), which is mainly produced by type F C. perfringens. Since shellfishes may gather C. perfringens in the water environment, this study estimated the potential circulation of type F C. perfringens among humans, sewage, and Ruditapes philippinarum (asari clams) as a result of sewage pollution. A comparison of the characteristics among the isolates from 86 sewage influents, 36 effluents, 76 asari clams, and 37 humans was conducted. Serotyping, cpe genotyping, and toxin genotyping showed that C. perfringens with a plasmid IS1151 sequence downstream of cpe was predominant among sewage influents, effluents, humans, and asari clams. Multilocus sequence typing suggested that some isolates from a human, sewage influents, effluents, and asari clams were linked to each other. These results demonstrated that asari clams are the necessary infection sources of C. perfringens responsible for carriers and foodborne diseases, and that these pathogens from humans infected by asari clams can pollute the water environment. It is useful to assess bacteria such as C. perfringens isolates from sewage to estimate the trend of those from the community.

Characterization of Salmonella Isolates from Wastewater Treatment Plant Influents to Estimate Unreported Cases and Infection Sources of Salmonellosis

Salmonella enterica is a major cause of gastroenteritis usually caused by animal-based contaminated foods. Since the current passive surveillance is not sufficient to detect all infections and infection sources, we determined the prevalence of Salmonella isolated from sewage influent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and compared the characteristics of human and food isolates to identify the infection sources. Sewage influent samples were collected monthly from two WWTPs located in the Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, for three years. Serotypes, antimicrobial resistances, isolation periods, isolated areas, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns of six isolates belonging to five serotypes were consistent with those of the isolates from patients. Real-time PCR for Salmonella indicated that sewage influents reflect cases of patients infected with Salmonella, including unreported cases. Serovars Schwarzengrund and Anatum were predominant in sewage, but not in humans, and their characteristics were closely related or identical to those isolated from poultry heart and liver, respectively. These results suggest that sewage influent contains Salmonella isolates from humans and that some originated from unreported human cases infected by poultry-associated products. Therefore, it is necessary to take countermeasures against Salmonella infection based on the unreported cases, which would be disclosed by analysis of sewage influent.

Clinical features of children with nontyphoidal Salmonella bacteremia: A single institution survey in rural Japan

Nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) can cause bacterial enterocolitis. Although some children with NTS infection develop bacteremia, its clinical manifestations have not been discussed adequately. Therefore, we examined children with NTS bacteremia. We retrospectively examined the medical records of 15 patients aged less than 15 years. Salmonella spp. were detected in the blood cultures of these patients between 1991 and 2014. We divided an additional sample group of 34 patients diagnosed with an NTS infection between 2005 and 2014, into 2 groups. Group bacteremia (B) included patients in whose blood cultures Salmonella spp. were detected, and group non-bacteremia (NB) included patients in whom Salmonella infection was not detected. We compared each group using Wilcoxon test and Fisher’s exact test. The number of patients with fever, diarrhea, or abdominal pain was 15 (100%), 13 (87%), and 9 (60%), respectively, in the first sample of patients. However, vomiting and bloody stool were observed in only 5 patients (33%). More than 70% of patients exhibited a reduced white blood cell count, while C-reactive protein levels were variable in the patients. Salmonella spp. were detected via stool culture in 10 patients (67%). Diarrhea persisted for more than 4 days more frequently in group B than group NB (p = 0.004). The number of patients whose fever persisted for more than 4 days was significantly higher in group B than group NB (p = 0.030). Therefore, if NTS bacteremia is suspected, blood cultures should be collected and antibiotics should be initiated in cases with diarrhea or fever for more than 4 days. Furthermore, a negative stool culture result does not preclude the possibility of NTS bacteremia.

Assessment of Consumer Exposure to Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Meat Products at Retail in the City of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Meat products may be vehicles of bacterial pathogens to humans, and Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are the most relevant. The aim of this study was to generate data on prevalence of these three pathogens in 552 samples of meat products (hot dogs, pork sausages, raw ground beef, and raw chicken legs) sold at retail in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Salmonella spp. was detected in 5.8% (32/552) of samples, comprising pork sausages 62.5% (20/32) and chicken legs 37.5% (12/32). The counts of Salmonella spp. were low, ranging from < 0.3 to 9.3 × 10 most probable number per gram and the most frequent serovars were Salmonella Typhimurium (28.1%), Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- (15.6%), Salmonella Enteritidis (12.5%), Salmonella Derby, and Salmonella Brandenburg (9.4%). Campylobacter spp. was detected in 33 samples (6.0%), comprising chicken legs (82%) and ground beef (18%). All samples were negative for STEC. These results suggest that meat products when subjected to inadequate cooking and/or cross-contamination with other products ready for consumption can lead to occurrence of outbreaks, highlighting the risks associated with them.

Shiga Toxin (Verotoxin)-Producing Escherichia coli in Japan

A series of outbreaks of infection with Shiga toxin (verocytotoxin)-producing Escherichia coli or enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O157:H7 occurred in Japan in 1996, the largest outbreak occurring in primary schools in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, where more than 7,500 cases were reported. Although the reason for the sudden increase in the number of reports of EHEC isolates in 1996 is not known, the number of reports has grown to more than 3,000 cases per year since 1996, from an average of 105 reports each year during the previous 5-year period (1991-1995). Despite control measures instituted since 1996, including designating Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection as a notifiable disease, and nationwide surveillance effectively monitoring the disease, the number of reports remains high, around 3,800 cases per year. Serogroup O157 predominates over other EHEC serogroups, but isolation frequency of non-O157 EHEC has gone up slightly over the past few years. Non-O157 EHEC has recently caused outbreaks where consumption of a raw beef dish was the source of the infection, and some fatal cases occurred. Laboratory surveillance comprised prefectural and municipal public health institutes, and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases has contributed to finding not only multiprefectural outbreaks but recognizing sporadic cases that could have been missed as an outbreak without the aid of molecular subtyping of EHEC isolates. This short overview presents recent information on the surveillance of EHEC infections in Japan.

Salmonella in liquid eggs and other foods in fukuoka prefecture, Japan

The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Salmonella in retail and wholesale foods in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. A total of 2,021 samples collected between 1999 and 2010 were tested using a culture method. Samples consisted of liquid eggs (n = 30), meat (beef and pork) (n = 781), offal (n = 69), processed meats (n = 2), seafood (n = 232), processed seafood (dried fish) (n = 76), vegetables (n = 481), processed vegetables (n = 87), fruits (n = 167), and herbs (n = 96) from 574 outlets and wholesale agents in 15 areas (five samples were undocumented regarding outlets). Overall, liquid egg showed significantly (P < 0.001) higher frequencies of Salmonella contamination (13.3%) than beef (1/423, 0.2%) and pork (3/235, 1.3%). Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis, the most common serovar as a human pathogen, were isolated from two liquid egg samples. No Salmonella were isolated from seafood and vegetable-related samples including seed sprouts (n = 261). In conclusion, liquid egg is a significant Salmonella vehicle, showing a need to continue the vaccination of chickens to prevent S. Enteritidis contamination in Japanese eggs. Moreover, further study is needed to evaluate Salmonella contamination in seed sprouts with more sampling from retailers there.