Situational analysis of antimicrobial resistance, laboratory capacities, surveillance systems and containment activities in Ethiopia: A new and one health approach.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a health, environmental, and economic threat around the globe. It is rising in Ethiopia. This analysis was designed to determine the current status of AMR on major bacterial pathogens, laboratory capacities, surveillance systems, and containment activities in the country.

Shiga toxin (stx) encoding genes in sheep and goats reared in Trinidad and Tobago.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is estimated to cause over two million cases of human disease annually. Trinidad and Tobago is one of the largest livestock producer and consumer of sheep and goat meat in the Caribbean, however, the potential role of these animals in the epidemiology of STEC infections has not been previously described. To fill this critical gap in knowledge, the prevalence of Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2) shed in the faeces of healthy sheep (n = 204) and goats (n = 105) in Trinidad was investigated.

Achieving Antimicrobial Stewardship on the Global Scale: Challenges and Opportunities.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been clearly identified as a major global health challenge. It is a leading cause of human deaths and also has a toll on animals, plants, and the environment. Despite the considerable socio-economic impacts, the level of awareness of the problem remains woefully inadequate, and antimicrobials are not generally recognized as a global common good, one that everyone has a role and responsibility to conserve.

Identification and Subtyping of Isolates Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF).

Subtyping of bacterial isolates of the same genus and species is an important tool in epidemiological investigations. A number of phenotypic and genotypic subtyping methods are available; however, most of these methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming and require considerable operator skill and a wealth of reagents. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), an alternative to conventional subtyping methods, offers a rapid, reproducible method for bacterial identification with a high sensitivity and specificity and at minimal cost.

Temporal Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance of Fecal Escherichia coli from Deer.

The changing epidemiologic role of wildlife as reservoirs of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) is poorly understood. In this study, we characterize the phenotypic resistance of commensal Escherichia coli from fecal samples of 879 individual white-tailed (Odocoileus virginianus; WTD) over a ten-year period and analyze resistance patterns. Our results show commensal E.

FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA): Twenty Years of International Microbiological Risk Assessment.

Since the late 1990s, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) has convened expert meetings and consultations to address the microbiological risk assessment (MRA). These meetings are held to provide scientific advice in response to requests for from Codex Alimentarius, the international food standard-setting body. Individuals participate in the FAO/WHO joint expert meetings on the microbiological risk assessment (JEMRA) in their personal capacity, as technical experts, yet bring diverse regional and national perspectives that contribute to practical applications, particularly for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Author Correction: The Role of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in the Dissemination of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli among Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Bird-livestock interactions associated with increased cattle fecal shedding of ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli within feedlots in the United States.

This research study was conducted to determine if bird depredation in feedlots is associated with the prevalence of ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli in cattle and to determine if removal of invasive bird species could be an effective management strategy to help reduce ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli in cattle within the United States. European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) were collected from feedlots within multiple geographic regions within the United States and European starlings within all regions tested positive for ciprofloxacin-resistant E.

The Role of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in the Dissemination of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli among Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.

Antimicrobial use in livestock production is a driver for the development and proliferation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Wildlife interactions with livestock, acquiring associated AMR bacteria and genes, and wildlife's subsequent dispersal across the landscape are hypothesized to play an important role in the ecology of AMR. Here, we examined priority AMR phenotypes and genotypes of Escherichia coli isolated from the gastrointestinal tracts of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) found on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

Quantification of Salmonella enterica transfer between tomatoes, soil, and plastic mulch.

Tomatoes have been linked to Salmonella outbreaks in the United States (US). Plasticulture systems, that combine raised beds, plastic mulch, drip irrigation and fumigation, are common in commercial staked fresh tomato production in the US. The US FDA Produce Safety Rule prohibits the distribution of any produce covered by the rule (including fresh market tomatoes) that drops to the ground before harvest.

Amish (Rural) vs. non-Amish (Urban) Infant Fecal Microbiotas Are Highly Diverse and Their Transplantation Lead to Differences in Mucosal Immune Maturation in a Humanized Germfree Piglet Model.

The gut microbiome plays an important role in the immune system development, maintenance of normal health status, and in disease progression. In this study, we comparatively examined the fecal microbiomes of Amish (rural) and non-Amish (urban) infants and investigated how they could affect the mucosal immune maturation in germ-free piglets that were inoculated with the two types of infant fecal microbiota (IFM). Differences in microbiome diversity and structure were noted between the two types of fecal microbiotas.

A Review of Current Research and Knowledge Gaps in the Epidemiology of Shiga Toxin-Producing and spp. in Trinidad and Tobago.

and Shiga toxin-producing are two of the main causes of foodborne disease globally, and while they have been implicated as possible causes of foodborne disease within the Caribbean region, the actual incidence is unknown. Trinidad and Tobago, one of the larger countries in the Caribbean, has an estimated annual foodborne disease burden of over 100,000 cases and, similar to other countries, the etiology of most of these cases is unknown. Both pathogens can reside as part of the normal gastrointestinal microflora of many wild and domestic animals, with animals acting as reservoirs, spillover hosts, or dead-end hosts.

Rapid loss of a green fluorescent plasmid in O157:H7.

Plasmids encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) are frequently used to label bacteria, allowing the identification and differentiation from background flora during experimental studies. Because of its common use in survival studies of the foodborne pathogen O157:H7, it is important to know the extent to which the plasmid is retained in this host system. Herein, the stability of a pGFPuv (Clontech Laboratories Inc) plasmid in six O157:H7 isolates was assessed in an oligotrophic environment (phosphate buffered saline, PBS) without antibiotic selective pressure.

Complete Genome Sequences of Two Phage-Like Plasmids Carrying the CTX-M-15 Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Gene.

Two similar phage-like plasmids carrying CTX-M-15 resistance cassettes were identified from two environmental isolates. They demonstrate strong nucleotide sequence identity to the phage-like plasmid pECOH89 and bacteriophage SSU5.

Food Safety Instruction Improves Knowledge and Behavior Risk and Protection Factors for Foodborne Illnesses in Pregnant Populations.

Objective This study compared knowledge and food-handling behavior after pathogen-specific (experimental treatment) versus basic food safety instruction (active control) presented during nutrition education classes for low-income English- and Spanish-language pregnant women. Methods Subjects (n = 550) were randomly assigned to treatment groups in two different locations in the United States. Food safety instruction was part of an 8-lesson curriculum.

On-farm starling populations and other environmental and management factors associated with the presence of cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli among dairy cattle in Ohio.

Wild birds that forage around livestock facilities have been implicated as vectors of antimicrobial resistant organisms. Although antimicrobial resistant bacteria have been isolated from European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), their role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistant elements in livestock facilities needs further investigation. To determine whether on-farm starling density and other factors were associated with the presence of cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin resistant E.

Subboiling Moist Heat Favors the Selection of Enteric Pathogen Clostridium difficile PCR Ribotype 078 Spores in Food.

Emerging enteric pathogens could have not only more antibiotic resistance or virulence traits; they could also have increased resistance to heat. We quantified the effects of minimum recommended cooking and higher temperatures, individually on a collection of C. difficile isolates and on the survival probability of a mixture of emerging C.

Examining trust factors in online food risk information: The case of unpasteurized or 'raw' milk.

The internet has become an increasingly important way of communicating with consumers about food risk information. However, relatively little is known about how consumers evaluate and come to trust the information they encounter online. Using the example of unpasteurized or raw milk this paper presents two studies exploring the trust factors associated with online information about the risks and benefits of raw milk consumption.

Dairy cattle management factors that influence on-farm density of European starlings in Ohio, 2007-2009.

Potential dairy farm management and environmental factors that attract European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) to dairy farms were explored. During the period from 2007 to 2009, 150 dairy farms were each visited twice (once during the summer and again in the fall) and the number of starlings was recorded. Risk factors were assessed for possible association with the number of starlings per milking cow (starling density), using a zero-inflated negative binomial model.

Soil Conditions That Can Alter Natural Suppression of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Ohio Specialty Crop Soils.

Food-borne pathogen persistence in soil fundamentally affects the production of safe vegetables and small fruits. Interventions that reduce pathogen survival in soil would have positive impacts on food safety by minimizing preharvest contamination entering the food chain. Laboratory-controlled studies determined the effects of soil pH, moisture content, and soil organic matter (SOM) on the survivability of this pathogen through the creation of single-parameter gradients.

Contamination of tomatoes with coliforms and Escherichia coli on farms and in markets of northwest Nigeria.

Although recent reports indicated that produce contamination with foodborne pathogens is widespread in Nigeria, the sources and magnitude of microbial contamination of fruits and vegetables on farms and in markets have not been thoroughly identified. To ascertain possible pathways of contamination, the frequency and magnitude of coliform and Escherichia coli contamination of tomatoes produced in northwest Nigeria was assessed on farms and in markets. Eight hundred twenty-six tomato fruit samples and 36 irrigation water samples were collected and assessed for fecal indicator organisms.

Clostridium difficile with Moxifloxacin/Clindamycin Resistance in Vegetables in Ohio, USA, and Prevalence Meta-Analysis.

We (i) determined the prevalence of Clostridium difficile and their antimicrobial resistance to six antimicrobial classes, in a variety of fresh vegetables sold in retail in Ohio, USA, and (ii) conducted cumulative meta-analysis of reported prevalence in vegetables since the 1990s. Six antimicrobial classes were tested for their relevance as risk factors for C. difficile infections (CDIs) (clindamycin, moxifloxacin) or their clinical priority as exhaustive therapeutic options (metronidazole, vancomycin, linezolid, and tigecycline).