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Bolzoni L, Conter M, Lamperti L, Scaltriti E, Morganti M, Poeta A, Vecchi M, Paglioli S, Rampini A, Ramoni P, De Vita D, Bacci C, Rega M, Andriani L, Pongolini S, Bonardi S. Salmonella in horses at slaughter and public health effects in Italy. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 408:110429. [PMID: 37839149 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110429] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
The study assessed the role of equids at slaughter as faecal carriers of Salmonella enterica and the occurrence of contaminated equid carcasses during the slaughter process in Northern Italy (Emilia-Romagna Region). From June to November 2021, 152 equids (146 horses, 5 donkeys and 1 mule) were tested for Salmonella both in caecal contents and through carcass swabs. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of recovered strains was tested against 15 antimicrobials. Salmonella was detected in 3/152 of the caecal contents (2.0 %), while all carcass samples were negative. S. enterica serovars Enteriditis, Typhimurium and Stanleyville were identified. The only AMR isolate was S. Typhimurium with AMR profile AmCStxT. Considering the consumption of raw horse meat (i.e., minced raw meat named "pesto di cavallo" and dried and smoked strips named "sfilacci di cavallo") in different areas of Northern Italy, we also investigated the possible link between horse meat eating and salmonellosis cases in the human population in the same area. Specifically, we compared the Salmonella strains collected during the study with those routinely processed in the laboratory surveillance system for human salmonellosis in Emilia-Romagna (a region with about 4.5 million inhabitants). The comparison was based on whole genome sequencing data through core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) used in routine surveillance. A genomic match in cgMLST was found between the strain of S. enterica serovar Enteritidis isolated from a horse caecal content and an enduring outbreak of 17 human cases in Emilia-Romagna during the study period. The consequent epidemiological investigation highlighted that a number of cases with known food history reported the consumption of horse meat and traced different batches of the consumed meat, released weeks apart from each other, to the slaughter investigated in the study. The results of the epidemiological investigation suggested the role of horses in the S. enterica serovar Enteritidis outbreak affecting raw horse meat consumers. This study shows that, despite the low prevalence on equid carcasses, S. enterica in horse meat can represent a risk to consumers. From the perspective of the slaughter activities, this highlights the need to maintain a high level of hygiene during the entire process, starting from the hygiene at lairage up to the slaughtering phase and dressing of carcasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bolzoni
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Parma, Italy
| | - Mauro Conter
- Department of Veterinary Science, Unit of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Luca Lamperti
- Department of Veterinary Science, Unit of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Erika Scaltriti
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Parma, Italy
| | - Marina Morganti
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Parma, Italy
| | - Antonio Poeta
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Local Health Authority, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Marco Vecchi
- Specialization School in Inspection of Food of Animal Origin, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Silvia Paglioli
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Local Health Authority, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Ramoni
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Local Health Authority, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Daniela De Vita
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Local Health Authority, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Cristina Bacci
- Department of Veterinary Science, Unit of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Martina Rega
- Department of Veterinary Science, Unit of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Laura Andriani
- Department of Veterinary Science, Unit of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Stefano Pongolini
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Parma, Italy
| | - Silvia Bonardi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Unit of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin, University of Parma, Italy.
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Symeonidou I, Sioutas G, Lazou T, Gelasakis AI, Papadopoulos E. A Review of Toxoplasma gondii in Animals in Greece: A FoodBorne Pathogen of Public Health Importance. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2530. [PMID: 37570337 PMCID: PMC10416908 DOI: 10.3390/ani13152530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoon with a complex life cycle and the second most important foodborne pathogen in Europe. Surveillance of toxoplasmosis is based on national considerations since there are no mandatory controls along the food chain in the European Union, and underreporting of meat is still a problem in many countries like Greece. The current review provides an overview of T. gondii prevalence, associated risk factors, and surveillance in animals in Greece, focusing on the transmission role of meat and highlighting the control measures that should be adopted by consumers. Sows, wild boars, hares, equines, and cats had lower, while sheep and goats generally had higher seroprevalence than their respective pooled European and global values. Seroprevalence in chickens was similar between Greece and Europe, while there was high variation in cattle studies, with no data regarding dairy products. Though a comprehensive meat safety assurance system is the most effective approach to control the principal biological hazards associated with meat, such as T. gondii, the prerequisite risk categorisation of farms and abattoirs based on EFSA's proposed harmonised epidemiological indicators has not materialised as yet in Greece. Therefore, comprehensive control strategies are still required to ensure food safety and safeguard public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaia Symeonidou
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (I.S.); (G.S.)
| | - Georgios Sioutas
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (I.S.); (G.S.)
| | - Thomai Lazou
- Laboratory of Hygiene of Foods of Animal Origin—Veterinary Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Athanasios I. Gelasakis
- Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Department of Animal Science, School of Animal Biosciences, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece;
| | - Elias Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (I.S.); (G.S.)
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Szott V, Peh E, Friese A, Roesler U, Kehrenberg C, Ploetz M, Kittler S. Antimicrobial effect of a drinking water additive comprising four organic acids on Campylobacter load in broilers and monitoring of bacterial susceptibility. Poult Sci 2022; 101:102209. [PMID: 36283144 PMCID: PMC9597105 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.102209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Application of organic acids via feed or drinking water is under discussion as a possible intervention strategy to reduce Campylobacter (C.) load in primary poultry production. A previous in vitro study showed that reduced concentrations of sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propionic acid, and acetic acid were required for antibacterial activity against Campylobacter when using a mixture of these 4 acids compared to when using the single acids. The present study aimed at determining the antibacterial efficiency of this combination in vivo as a drinking water additive for reducing shedding and intestinal C. jejuni colonization in broilers. Furthermore, we assessed whether the inoculated C. jejuni strain BfR-CA-14430 adapted in vivo to the applied organic acids. Results of this study showed that adding the organic acids consistently reduced Campylobacter loads in cloacal swabs. While significant reductions were observed within the entire study period, a maximum 2 log reduction occurred at an age of 18 d. However, after dissection at the end of the trial, no significant differences were detected in Campylobacter loads of cecal and colon contents compared to the control group. Susceptibility testing of re-isolates from cloacal swabs and cecal content revealed equal minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values compared to the inoculated test strain, suggesting that C. jejuni remained susceptible throughout the trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Szott
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elisa Peh
- Institute for Food Quality and Food Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, 30173 Germany.
| | - Anika Friese
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Uwe Roesler
- Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Corinna Kehrenberg
- Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Madeleine Ploetz
- Institute for Food Quality and Food Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, 30173 Germany
| | - Sophie Kittler
- Institute for Food Quality and Food Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, 30173 Germany
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Ockleford C, Adriaanse P, Berny P, Brock T, Duquesne S, Grilli S, Hernandez-Jerez AF, Bennekou SH, Klein M, Kuhl T, Laskowski R, Machera K, Pelkonen O, Pieper S, Stemmer M, Sundh I, Teodorovic I, Tiktak A, Topping CJ, Wolterink G, Craig P, de Jong F, Manachini B, Sousa P, Swarowsky K, Auteri D, Arena M, Rob S. Scientific Opinion addressing the state of the science on risk assessment of plant protection products for in-soil organisms. EFSA J 2017; 15:e04690. [PMID: 32625401 PMCID: PMC7009882 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Following a request from EFSA, the Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues developed an opinion on the science behind the risk assessment of plant protection products for in-soil organisms. The current risk assessment scheme is reviewed, taking into account new regulatory frameworks and scientific developments. Proposals are made for specific protection goals for in-soil organisms being key drivers for relevant ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes such as nutrient cycling, soil structure, pest control and biodiversity. Considering the time-scales and biological processes related to the dispersal of the majority of in-soil organisms compared to terrestrial non-target arthropods living above soil, the Panel proposes that in-soil environmental risk assessments are made at in- and off-field scale considering field boundary levels. A new testing strategy which takes into account the relevant exposure routes for in-soil organisms and the potential direct and indirect effects is proposed. In order to address species recovery and long-term impacts of PPPs, the use of population models is also proposed.
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