Salmonella Abortusovis: An Epidemiologically Relevant Pathogen.

The ovine pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Abortusovis (SAO), a pathogen strictly adapted to ovine hosts, is endemic in several European and Asian countries, where it causes significant economic losses due to the high rates of abortion in infected flocks. In some countries (i.e.

Carriage of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales in Adult Patients Admitted to a University Hospital in Italy.

The emerging spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) strains, in particular, and , has become a significant threat to hospitalized patients. Carbapenemase genes are frequently located on plasmids than can be exchanged among clonal strains, increasing the antibiotic resistance rate. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CPE in patients upon their admission and to analyze selected associated factors.

Evaluation of PCR-based methods for the identification of enteroaggregative hemorrhagic Escherichia coli in sprouts.

In this study real-time PCR assays were evaluated for the detection of enteroaggregative hemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EAHEC) O104:H4 in artificially contaminated mung bean and/alfalfa sprouts inoculated with 1, 10, and 100 CFU of EAHEC O104:H4 per 25 g sample (20, 10, and 2 replicates respectively). After selective culture enrichment the samples were tested using commercial real-time PCR kits detecting aggR/aaiC, stx/eae, and wzx. Using the commercial real-time PCR kits, the artificially contaminated samples were detected in the range of 75-80% positive results when contaminated with approximately 1 CFU, and 100% at 10 and 100 CFU.

Detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in ground beef and bean sprouts: Evaluation of culture enrichment conditions.

The main purpose of this work was to evaluate culture enrichment conditions, with particular regard to those reported in ISO/TS 13136:2012, for STEC detection in food. The culture media evaluated included mTSB with novobiocin 0-16mg/l (mTSB+N) or acriflavin 12mg/l (mTSB+A); BPW; mBPWp with acriflavin 10mg/l, cefsulodin 10mg/l, vancomycin 8mg/l (mBPWp+ACV); and mBPWp with cefsulodin 10mg/l, vancomycin 8mg/l (mBPWp+CV). They were used for the growth of STEC O157, O26, O103, O111, O145 and O104 in pure cultures or in artificially contaminated food matrices (ground beef, mung bean sprouts).

Validation and application of a quantitative real-time PCR assay to detect common wheat adulteration of durum wheat for pasta production.

Pasta is the Italian product par excellence and it is now popular worldwide. Pasta of a superior quality is made with pure durum wheat. In Italy, addition of Triticum aestivum (common wheat) during manufacturing is not allowed and, without adequate labeling, its presence is considered an adulteration.

Comparative analysis of the standard PCR-Based Replicon Typing (PBRT) with the commercial PBRT-KIT.

Plasmids are the main vectors of resistance and virulence genes in Enterobacteriaceae and plasmid typing is essential for the analysis of evolution, epidemiology and spread of antibacterial resistance. The PCR-Based Replicon Typing (PBRT), developed by Carattoli et al. in 2005, was an efficient method for plasmid identification and typing in Enterobacteriaceae.

Validation according to ISO/TS 12869:2012 of a molecular method for the isolation and quantification of Legionella spp. in water.

The aim of the present work was to validate the performances of a new molecular method comprehensive of water sample filtration, DNA extraction and Real-Time PCR for the quantification of Legionella spp. in clear water samples, in accordance with the recent ISO Technical Specification 12869:2012. All criteria and requirements were verified considering inclusivity and exclusivity, check of the calibration function, limit of detection and limit of quantification, recovery calculation, robustness and uncertainty of the entire method.

Microbiological surveillance of a bovine raw milk farm through multiplex real-time PCR.

Raw milk is increasingly appreciated by consumers but can be contaminated by a variety of zoonotic pathogens. Therefore, preventive measures, such as on-farm hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) programs, must be applied to protect consumers. The aim of the present study was the comparison of a multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with a culture-based approach in an on-farm quality assurance program for the detection of Escherichia coli O157, Salmonella spp.

A new platform for Real-Time PCR detection of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157 in milk.

Intoxications and infections caused by food-borne pathogens represent an increasing public health problem, and diagnostic tests in multiplex format are needed for the rapid identification of food contaminations caused by more than one microbial species. We have developed a multiple PCR-based platform for the simultaneous detection of the widespread milk-associated pathogens Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157.