Fresh produce-associated foodborne disease outbreaks in Australia, 2001 to 2017.

Fresh produce is an important source of foodborne outbreaks in Australia. Using descriptive analysis, we examined confirmed and suspected foodborne outbreaks associated with fresh produce in Australia recorded in the OzFoodNet outbreak register from 2001 to 2017. The outbreak register contains reports of foodborne disease outbreaks collected by OzFoodNet epidemiologists and public health officials.

Bisphosphonates synergistically enhance the antifungal activity of azoles in dermatophytes and other pathogenic molds.

Unlabelled: Superficial infections of the skin, hair, and nails by fungal dermatophytes are the most prevalent of human mycoses, and many infections are refractory to treatment. As current treatment options are limited, recent research has explored drug synergy with azoles for dermatophytoses. Bisphosphonates, which are approved to treat osteoporosis, can synergistically enhance the activity of azoles in diverse yeast pathogens but their activity has not been explored in dermatophytes or other molds.

Plasma activated water as a pre-treatment strategy in the context of biofilm-infected chronic wounds.

Healing and treatment of chronic wounds are often complicated due to biofilm formation by pathogens. Here, the efficacy of plasma activated water (PAW) as a pre-treatment strategy has been investigated prior to the application of topical antiseptics polyhexamethylene biguanide, povidone iodine, and MediHoney, which are routinely used to treat chronic wounds. The efficacy of this treatment strategy was determined against biofilms of formed on a plastic substratum and on a human keratinocyte monolayer substratum used as an biofilm-skin epithelial cell model.

An Effective Sanitizer for Fresh Produce Production: Plasma-Activated Water Treatment Inactivates Pathogenic Bacteria and Maintains the Quality of Cucurbit Fruit.

The effect of plasma-activated water (PAW) generated with a dielectric barrier discharge diffusor (DBDD) system on microbial load and organoleptic quality of cucamelons was investigated and compared to the established sanitizer, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Pathogenic serotypes of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes were inoculated onto the surface of cucamelons (6.5 log CFU g) and into the wash water (6 log CFU mL).

The antimicrobial efficacy of plasma-activated water against Listeria and E. coli is modulated by reactor design and water composition.

Aims: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of plasma-activated water (PAW) generated by two novel plasma reactors against pathogenic foodborne illness organisms.

Methods And Results: The antimicrobial efficacy of PAW produced by a bubble spark discharge (BSD) reactor and a dielectric barrier discharge-diffuser (DBDD) reactor operating at atmospheric conditions with air, multiple discharge frequencies and Milli-Q and tap water, was investigated with model organisms Listeria innocua and Escherichia coli in situ. Optimal conditions were subsequently employed for pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, E.

Mixing postharvest fungicides and sanitizers results in unpredictable survival of microbes that affect cantaloupes.

Postharvest treatments with sanitizers and fungicides are applied to increase the quality, safety and shelf life of fresh produce including cantaloupes (also known as rockmelons). The primary role of sanitizers during cantaloupe washing is to prevent cross contamination of potentially pathogenic bacteria in washwater. Postharvest fungicide sprays or dips are employed to inhibit spoilage-causing fungi.