Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's egg pasteurization processes on the inactivation of high-pathogenicity avian influenza virus and velogenic Newcastle disease virus in processed egg products.

Globally, 230,662 metric tons of liquid egg products are marketed each year. The presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or Newcastle disease in an exporting country can legitimately inhibit trade in eggs and processed egg products; development and validation of pasteurization parameters are essential for safe trade to continue. The HPAI virus (HPAIV) A/chicken/Pennsylvania/1370/1983 (H5N2) and velogenic Newcastle disease virus (vNDV) AMPV-1/chicken/California/S01212676/2002 were inoculated into five egg products and heat treated at various times and temperatures to determine thermal inactivation rates to effect a 5-log viral reduction.

Thermal inactivation of avian influenza virus and Newcastle disease virus in a fat-free egg product.

High-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) virus, low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) virus, virulent Newcastle disease virus (vNDV) and low-virulent Newcastle disease virus (lNDV) can be present on the eggshell surface, and HPAI viruses and vNDV can be present in the internal contents of chicken eggs laid by infected hens. With the increase in global trade, egg products could present potential biosecurity problems and affect international trade in liquid and dried egg products. Therefore, the generation of survival curves to determine decimal reduction times (D(T)-values) and change in heat resistance of the viruses (z(D)-value) within fat-free egg product could provide valuable information for development of risk reduction strategies.

Dose-response of Listeria monocytogenes after oral exposure in pregnant guinea pigs.

Listeriosis, a severe disease that results from exposure to the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, is responsible for approximately 2500 illnesses and 500 deaths in the United States each year. Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to develop listeriosis than the general population, with adverse pregnancy outcomes that include spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, and neonatal meningitis. The objective of this study was to determine an infective dose that resulted in stillbirths and infectivity of selected tissues in pregnant guinea pigs.