Publications by authors named "Mª Antonia Ferrus"

In response to growing global interest in organic agriculture, this study delves into the microbial landscape of organically grown raw produce with a focus on food safety. Vegetables that are consumed raw are potential vehicles for the transmission of any type of microorganism capable of causing human disease. Free-living amoebae (FLA) are ubiquitous protozoa found in many ecosystems and can serve as hosts to pathogenic bacteria.

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Fresh fruits and vegetables are potential reservoirs for antimicrobial resistance determinants, but few studies have focused specifically on organic vegetables. The present study aimed to determine the presence of third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)- and carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria on fresh organic vegetables produced in the city of Valencia (Spain). Main expanded spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)- and carbapenemase-encoding genes were also detected in the isolates.

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Article Synopsis
  • Increasing consumption of organic or ready-to-eat foods raises concerns about foodborne disease outbreaks, requiring effective detection methods for pathogens.
  • Traditional microbiological culture techniques for identifying these pathogens are time-consuming and costly, leading researchers to utilize faster methods like multiplex PCR (mPCR).
  • This study successfully developed a simple protocol that uses buffered peptone water (BPW) for enriching food samples, allowing for the effective detection of multiple pathogens simultaneously through mPCR, which streamlines and reduces the resources needed for food safety analysis.
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Accurate detection of H. pylori in different environmental and clinical samples is essential for public health strtdudies. Now, a big effort is being made to design PCR methodologies that allow for the detection of viable and viable but non-culturable (VBNC) H.

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Free-living amoebae (FLA) are ubiquitous protozoa commonly found in water. FLA are well-established hosts for amoeba-resistant bacteria, most of which are pathogenic, and offer them shelter from adverse environmental conditions or water treatments. Since there is very little knowledge about the complete bacterial microbiome of FLA, in this work the bacterial microbiome of FLA isolated from wastewater both after secondary and tertiary treatments was studied by amplicon-based sequencing.

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The objective of the present study was to establish the most suitable culture medium for the isolation of H. pylori from environmental and clinical samples. Ten different culture media were compared and evaluated.

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Wastewater has become one of the most important and least expensive water for the agriculture sector, as well as an alternative to the overexploitation of water resources. However, inappropriate treatment before its reuse can result in a negative impact on the environment, such as the presence of pathogens. This poses an increased risk for environmental safety, which can subsequently lead to an increased risk for human health.

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Currently, Helicobacter pylori is the unique biological carcinogenic agent. The search for antimicrobial alternatives to antibiotics against this pathogen has been categorized as a priority due to the drastic failure associated with current applied antibiotic therapy. The present study assessed the bioactive antimicrobial capability of fucoidan ("Generally Recognized as Safe" approval - European Commission December 2017) from different species of Phaeophyceae algae (Fucus vesiculosus, Undaria pinnatifida, Macrocystis pyrifera) against H.

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Vegetables are one of the sources from which Helicobacter pylori can be acquired. This bacterium infects >50% of the global population and is a recognized type I human carcinogen. H.

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Background: The quality of raw and drinking water is a matter of considerable concern due to the possibility of fecal contamination. To assess the quality and public health risk of different types of water, the fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) are used. However, some pathogens, such as Helicobacter pylori, may be present in water when FIB cannot be found.

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This study was conducted to assess the risk due to antimicrobial-resistant strains of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli isolated from the eggshell and the contents of eggs bought in markets in Valencia (Spain). Thirty-four samples from three different production styles were analyzed: standard ( n = 34), organic ( n = 16), and backyard ( n = 10) eggs.

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Shellfish is a highly valuated natural food product that is usually consumed minimally processed. Some foodborne pathogens have been associated to marine products and isolated from aquatic environments. Helicobacter pylori emerges as one of the most concerning human pathogens associated to water and, thereby, it could be present in raw and slightly treated marine food products.

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Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common causes of chronic bacterial infection in humans, and a predisposing factor for peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. The infection has been consistently associated with lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation. H.

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Salmonella spp. is one of the most important causal agents of food-borne illness in developed countries and its presence in irrigation water poses a risk to public health. Its detection in environmental samples is not easy when culture methods are used, and molecular techniques such as PCR or ribosomal rRNA probe hybridization (Fluorescent in situ Hybridization, FISH) are outstanding alternatives.

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Helicobacter pylori is one of the most concerning emerging waterborne pathogens. It has been suggested that it could survive in water inside free-living amoebae (FLA), but nobody has studied this relationship in the environment yet. Thus, we aimed to detect viable H.

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Some species of the Arcobacter genus are considered emerging foodborne and waterborne enteropathogens. However, the presence of Arcobacter spp. in vegetables very little is known, because most studies have focused on foods of animal origin.

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This work aimed to determine the presence of Arcobacter spp. in shellfish and to determine its susceptibility to quinolones. One hundred samples (41 mussels, 37 clams, and 22 cockles) were purchased from different local retail shops in Valencia, Spain, from September 2013 to June 2015.

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The use of antimicrobials in food animals is the major determinant for the propagation of resistant bacteria in the animal reservoir. However, other factors may also play a part, and in particular vertical spread between the generations has been suggested to be an important transmission pathway. The objective of this paper was to determine the resistance patterns of Escherichia coli isolated from newly-hatched chickens as well as to study the antibiotic pressure effect when amoxicillin was administered during their growing period.

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Free-living amoebae (FLA) are ubiquitous microorganisms commonly found in water. They can act as Trojan Horses for some amoeba-resistant bacteria (ARB). Helicobacter pylori is a pathogenic bacteria, suggested to be transmitted through water, which could belong to the ARB group.

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Background: Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common causes of chronic bacterial infection in humans, directly related to peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. It has been suggested that H. pylori can be acquired through different transmission routes, including water.

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Background: Helicobacter pylori is present in surface water and wastewater, and biofilms in drinking water systems have been reported as possible reservoirs of H. pylori. However, its ability to survive in an infectious state in the environment is hindered because it rapidly loses its cultivability.

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Listeria monocytogenes detection in wastewater can be difficult because of the large amount of background microbiota and the presence of viable but non-culturable forms in this environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate a Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) assay combined with Direct Viable Count (DVC) method for detecting viable L. monocytogenes in wastewater samples, as an alternative to conventional culture methods.

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Article Synopsis
  • Arcobacters are being recognized as emerging pathogens linked to food and water; however, their presence in fresh vegetables, specifically lettuces, hasn’t been studied before.
  • This research analyzed 50 fresh lettuces from local shops in Valencia, Spain, using cultural and molecular methods to detect the presence of Arcobacter spp.
  • The study found that 20% of the samples contained Arcobacter, with A. butzleri being the only species identified; this raises potential public health concerns since ready-to-eat vegetables like lettuce could transmit these pathogens.
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Pollution of water by sewage and run-off from farms produces a serious public health problem in many countries. Viruses, along with bacteria and protozoa in the intestine or in urine are shed and transported through the sewer system. Even in highly industrialized countries, pathogens, including viruses, are prevalent throughout the environment.

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The aim of this work was to assess the effect of chlorine water treatment on Arcobacter butzleri and to study the survival strategies of this organism in chlorinated and non-chlorinated drinking water. A. butzleri NCTC 12481 was inoculated into chlorinated and non-chlorinated water and samples were removed aseptically, immediately and periodically during the next 2 days (for chlorinated drinking water) or 35 days (for non-chlorinated drinking water).

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