Comparing listeriosis risks in at-risk populations using a user-friendly quantitative microbial risk assessment tool and epidemiological data.

Although infection by the pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is relatively rare, consequences can be severe, with a high case-fatality rate in vulnerable populations. A quantitative, probabilistic risk assessment tool was developed to compare estimates of the number of invasive listeriosis cases in vulnerable Canadian subpopulations given consumption of contaminated ready-to-eat delicatessen meats and hot dogs, under various user-defined scenarios. The model incorporates variability and uncertainty through Monte Carlo simulation.

Evidence for horizontal and vertical transmission in Campylobacter passage from hen to her progeny.

Campylobacter is an important human pathogen, and consumption of undercooked poultry has been linked to significant human illnesses. To reduce human illness, intervention strategies targeting Campylobacter reduction in poultry are in development. For more than a decade, there has been an ongoing national and international controversy about whether Campylobacter can pass from one generation of poultry to the next via the fertile egg.

Scientific and technical factors affecting the setting of Salmonella criteria for raw poultry: a global perspective.

Concerns about foodborne salmonellosis have led many countries to introduce microbiological criteria for certain food products. If such criteria are not well-grounded in science, they could be an unjustified obstacle to trade. Raw poultry products are an important part of the global food market.

Probabilistic risk model for staphylococcal intoxication from pork-based food dishes prepared in food service establishments in Korea.

Foodborne illness contracted at food service operations is an important public health issue in Korea. In this study, the probabilities for growth of, and enterotoxin production by, Staphylococcus aureus in pork meat-based foods prepared in food service operations were estimated by the Monte Carlo simulation. Data on the prevalence and concentration of S.

Modeling and risk assessment for Salmonella in meat and poultry.

Microbial risk assessment is rapidly becoming a well-recognized concept in the management of food- and waterborne microbial hazards. The process of conducting a risk assessment is a structured, systematic approach to integrate and evaluate information from diverse sources concerning the origin and fate of pathogens along the food chain and to determine the magnitude of public health risks. Quantitative modeling of the sources, prevalence, numbers, and behavior of food chain pathogens, such as Salmonella, and of the host/pathogen interaction and consequences are providing scientific information and insights useful for decision makers in managing the safety of the food supply.