Publications by authors named "Aaron Kiess"

Unlabelled: enterica serotype Reading has recently been identified as a significant foodborne pathogen from contaminated poultry products. There is a critical need for close monitoring of this newly emerged pathogen. This study developed bioluminescent strains of Reading for real-time pathogen tracking using bioluminescence imaging.

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Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is a leading foodborne illness causing bacteria, and poultry is a major reservoir of this pathogen. With the recent increase in broiler production under the "no antibiotics ever" (NAE) system, this study aimed to assess the prevalence, antibiotic resistance, and virulence characteristics of C.

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Article Synopsis
  • Salmonella Reading (S. Reading) has emerged as a significant foodborne pathogen causing outbreaks linked to contaminated turkey products in North America, making understanding its transmission critical for prevention.
  • This study involved infecting 32 broiler breeder hens with two different bioluminescent strains of S. Reading to investigate their ability to colonize the hens' reproductive tissues and contaminate eggs.
  • Results indicated that the outbreak strain contaminated a higher percentage of eggshells compared to the nonoutbreak strain, suggesting S. Reading can effectively colonize and pose risks for egg contamination, with further research needed on its viability during incubation.
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remains a top bacterial pathogen implicated in several food-borne outbreaks, despite the use of antimicrobials and sanitizers during production and processing. While these chemicals have been effective, has shown the ability to survive and persist in poultry processing environments. This can be credited to its microbial ability to adapt and develop/acquire tolerance and/or resistance to different antimicrobial agents including oxidizers, acids (organic and inorganic), phenols, and surfactants.

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Previous work has shown that dietary treatments affect woody breast (WB) incidence differently, which indicates that gut conditions such as gut barrier function, inflammation, and oxidative stress are likely related to WB. In this study, dietary supplementation with antibiotics (bacitracin) or probiotics (Bacillus subtilis) was investigated for their effects on the expression of transcripts related to gut barrier function, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the mucus lining of the jejunum from broilers with or without WB. A split-plot experimental design was used in this study.

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Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is the most common food-borne pathogen that causes human gastroenteritis in the United States. Consumption of contaminated poultry products is considered as the major source of human Campylobacter infection.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of β-glucans and MOS, essential oil (mixture of carvacrol and thymol), and the probiotic based on Saccharomyces boulardi, as an alternative to anticoccidial agents. In this experiment, six hundred seventy-two 1-day-old male broiler chicks were housed in batteries for 28 d. The experimental design of 4 randomized blocks with 24 cages each, and 7 birds per cage, consisted of an initial phase from 1 to 14 d of age, and a growth phase, from 15 to 28 d of age.

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In poultry processing, Salmonella and Campylobacter contaminations are major food safety concerns. Peracetic acid (PAA) is an antimicrobial commonly used in commercial poultry processing to reduce pathogen prevalence so as to meet the USDA-FSIS performance standards. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter on broiler meat in various steps of commercial poultry processing in plants that use PAA.

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Campylobacter jejuni is the leading pathogen that causes foodborne infections. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of four C. jejuni strains isolated from retail chicken meat and broiler feces samples.

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Increasing growth rate, body weight, and breast muscle yield have been linked to broiler muscle problems such as woody breast (WB). The aim of this study was to investigate the internal organ and skeletal muscle development of broilers with WB myopathy under dietary and Eimeria challenge treatments. A 3 diet (control, antibiotic, or probiotic) × 2 challenge (control or Eimeria) × 2 sex factorial arrangement of treatments was used in a randomized complete block design.

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Study suggested that dysbiosis of the gut microbiota may affect the etiology of woody breast (WB). In the current study, the cecal microbiota and WB in chickens fed three different diets were investigated. A total of 504 male chicks were used in a randomized complete block design with a 3 (Diet) × 2 (Challenge) factorial arrangement of treatments with 6 replicates per treatment, 6 treatments per block, and 14 birds per treatment.

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In poultry processing, spoilage microbes are persistent microorganisms, which affect the quality of broiler meat. Peracetic acid (PAA) is the most common antimicrobial used by commercial processing plants, which can reduce the prevalence of these microbes. The goal of this study was to determine the concentrations of aerobic bacteria, coliforms, lactic acid bacteria, and Pseudomonas on broiler meat in processing plants that use peracetic acid in various concentrations as the primary antimicrobial.

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is one of the main bacterial pathogens that cause campylobacteriosis in the United States. Poultry is considered a major reservoir for the transmission of to humans. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of in the no-antibiotics-ever (NAE) broilers.

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This study was conducted to determine the effect of housing environment and laying hen strain on performance, egg quality, and microbiology of the cloaca and eggshell. A total of 1,152 Hy-Line Brown (HB) and Hy-Line W-36 White Leghorn (W-36) hens were used. All hens were kept in conventional cages (CC) from 18 to 32 wk of age and then moved to either enriched colony cages (EC) or free-range (FR) pens or continued in CC.

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Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes significant economic and welfare concerns to the broiler industry. For several decades, prophylactic supplementation of antimicrobial growth promoters was the primary method to control APEC; however, the recent shift to no antibiotics ever (NAE) production has increased colibacillosis incidence. The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of season, flock age, and sample type on the prevalence and virulence of E.

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Woody breast (WB) is a myopathy that is related to the increasing growth rate. Understanding the influence of management factors on WB formation and development is important to minimize WB. This study was conducted to define how management factors affect broiler growth performance, processing yield, and WB incidence.

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Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is the etiological agent of necrotic enteritis and gangrenous dermatitis; 2 diseases that cause significant economic and welfare concerns to the broiler industry. Previously, Clostridium-related diseases were managed with the use of antimicrobial growth promoters fed to broilers that improved gut health and performance.

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Article Synopsis
  • Low-level tolerance to ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, developed in specific bacterial strains after exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC).
  • Key findings include a significant increase in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for 4 out of 8 strains, a growth rate boost in ciprofloxacin-containing environments for 5 strains, and higher survival rates in ciprofloxacin agar for some QAC-adapted strains.
  • The research indicates that QAC exposure can lead to the formation of ciprofloxacin-tolerant subpopulations, which could pose food safety risks if not controlled.
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Recent research has tried to maximize broiler chick health and performance by utilizing commercial in-feed probiotics to inoculate fertile hatching eggs, and thus expose birds earlier to beneficial bacteria. However, the in ovo inoculation of a specific serotype of Bacillus subtilis was detrimental for broiler hatchability. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if other B.

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Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes colibacillosis in poultry, which has been traditionally controlled by the prophylactic in-feed supplementation of antibiotics. However, antibiotics are being removed from poultry diets owing to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Therefore, alternatives to control APEC are required.

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The objective of this study was to determine if the adaptation at planktonic stage to subinhibitory concentrations (SIC) of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) could modulate the biofilm forming ability of five Listeria monocytogenes strains V7, Scott A, FSL-N1-227, FSL F6-154 and ATCC 19116 representing serotypes 1/2a, 4b and 4c. Biofilm formation by NaOCl nonadapted and adapted L. monocytogenes planktonic cells was measured in the presence or absence of SIC of NaOCl.

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Objectives: Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes colibacillosis, one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity associated with significant economic losses in the poultry industry. This study aimed to determine antimicrobial resistance and to characterise the genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant (MDR) APEC strain isolated from a broiler chicken.

Methods: Strain APEC-O2-MS1170 was isolated from the broiler yolk sac of a 14-day-old broiler.

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Previous studies have suggested the use of probiotics, as alternative to antibiotics, to enhance broiler performance. The administration of probiotics in feed has been widely explored; however, few studies have evaluated the in ovo inoculation of probiotics. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the impact of in ovo inoculation of different concentrations of GalliPro Hatch (GH), an Enterococcus faecium-based probiotic, on hatchability, live performance, and gastrointestinal parameters.

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United States is the largest producer and the second largest exporter of broiler meat in the world. In the US, broiler production is largely converting to antibiotic-free programs which has caused an increase in morbidity and mortality within broiler farms. and are two important pathogenic bacteria readily found in the broiler environment and result in annual billion-dollar losses from colibacillosis, gangrenous dermatitis, and necrotic enteritis.

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Salmonella is a poultry-borne pathogen that causes illness throughout the world. Consequently, it is critical to control Salmonella during the process of converting broilers to poultry meat. Sanitization of a poultry processing facility, including processing equipment, is a crucial control measure that is utilized by poultry integrators.

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