Source attribution of salmonellosis by time and geography in New South Wales, Australia.

Background: Salmonella is a major cause of zoonotic illness around the world, arising from direct or indirect contact with a range of animal reservoirs. In the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), salmonellosis is believed to be primarily foodborne, but the relative contribution of animal reservoirs is unknown.

Methods: The analysis included 4543 serotyped isolates from animal reservoirs and 30,073 serotyped isolates from domestically acquired human cases in NSW between January 2008 and August 2019.

Interventions to reduce non-typhoidal Salmonella in pigs during transport to slaughter and lairage: Systematic review, meta-analysis, and research synthesis based infection models in support of assessment of effectiveness.

A systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions to reduce Salmonella prevalence or concentration in pork was undertaken. A broad search was conducted in two electronic databases. Each citation was appraised using screening tools designed and tested a priori.

A Rapid Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Slaughter and Processing Interventions to Control Non-Typhoidal in Beef and Pork.

Pork is one of the major food sources of human salmonellosis worldwide, while beef products have been implicated in numerous foodborne outbreaks. As a result, effective interventions to reduce contamination during beef and pork processing are of interest to both regulators and industry. We conducted a rapid systematic review and meta-analysis of literature investigating the efficacy of slaughter and processing interventions to control in beef and pork.

Rapid systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence for effectiveness of primary production interventions to control Salmonella in beef and pork.

Non-typhoidal Salmonella spp. (hereafter referred to as Salmonella) on beef and pork is an important cause of foodborne illness and death globally. A systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions to reduce Salmonella prevalence or concentration in beef and pork was undertaken.

Epidemiology of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli in Australia, 2000-2010.

Background: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are an important cause of gastroenteritis in Australia and worldwide and can also result in serious sequelae such as haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). In this paper we describe the epidemiology of STEC in Australia using the latest available data.

Methods: National and state notifications data, as well as data on serotypes, hospitalizations, mortality and outbreaks were examined.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in ground beef and lamb cuts: results of a one-year study.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) have been associated with a broad spectrum of diarrhoeal syndromes. Some of these cases have been attributed to foods of bovine origin or other foods cross-contaminated by beef products or cow manure. The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of STEC distribution in selected red meats over time.

A study of the prevalence and enumeration of Salmonella enterica in cattle and on carcasses during processing.

Salmonella prevalence and counts were estimated for samples from the oral cavity, hide, rumen, and feces of 100 cattle at slaughter and from the pre- and postchill carcasses of these cattle. Samples were collected from 25 consecutively slaughtered cattle from each of four unrelated groups slaughtered at a single abattoir on different days. Ten additional fecal samples from each group were collected from their respective abattoir holding pens prior to slaughter.

An investigation of Escherichia coli O157 contamination of cattle during slaughter at an abattoir.

The extent of contamination with Escherichia coli O157 was determined for 100 cattle during slaughter. Samples from 25 consecutively slaughtered cattle from four unrelated groups were collected from the oral cavity, hide, rumen, feces after evisceration, and pre- and postchill carcass. Ten random fecal samples were collected from the pen where each group of animals was held at the abattoir.

Isolation and characterization of integron-containing bacteria without antibiotic selection.

The emergence of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic and commensal bacteria has become a serious problem worldwide. The use and overuse of antibiotics in a number of settings are contributing to the development of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. The class 1 and 2 integrase genes (intI1 and intI2, respectively) were identified in mixed bacterial cultures enriched from bovine feces by growth in buffered peptone water (BPW) followed by integrase-specific PCR.

Presence of activatable Shiga toxin genotype (stx(2d)) in Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli from livestock sources.

Stx2d is a recently described Shiga toxin whose cytotoxicity is activated 10- to 1000-fold by the elastase present in mouse or human intestinal mucus. We examined Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) strains isolated from food and livestock sources for the presence of activatable stx(2d). The stx(2) operons of STEC were first analyzed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and categorized as stx(2), stx(2c vha), stx(2c vhb), or stx(2d EH250).

A probabilistic analysis of Clostridium perfringens growth during food service operations.

The purpose of this study was threefold: first, the study was designed to illustrate the use of data and information collected in food safety surveys in a quantitative risk assessment. In this case, the focus was on the food service industry; however, similar data from other parts of the food chain could be similarly incorporated. The second objective was to quantitatively describe and better understand the role that the food service industry plays in the safety of food.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli -The Australian Perspective .

Food borne transmission of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) was first reported in Australia in 1995 when an outbreak of HUS due to Escherichia coli O111 occurred following the consumption of locally produced mettwurst. Federal and state health and food authorities responded rapidly to bring the outbreak under control. Longer-term responses include the introduction by regulatory authorities of a code of practice for uncooked fermented comminuted meat products, the provision of government and industry funds to support the implementation of this code, and research into the ecology and epidemiology of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and the safe production of meat.