The following topics will covered by the Lecture
Pathogens well established as food borne pathogens.
Viable but Nonculturable Bacteria in Food Environments
Approaches for Detection, Identification, and Analysis of Foodborne Pathogens
-Microbiological methods for detection of food borne pathogens:
Traditional methods
Recent Methods.
The followings are well established as food borne pathogens
Bacteria
Yersinia enterocolitica
-Vibrio spp.
-Staphylococcus aureus
- Campylobacter Infections.
-Listeria monocytogenes
-Salmonella spp.
-Shigella spp.
-Escherichia coli
-Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium perfringens -Bacillus cereus
Viruses
hepatitis A virus,
rotavirus, astrovirus,
enteric adenovirus,
hepatitis E virus,
human caliciviruses consisting of the noroviruses and the --Sapporo viruses
Food-and Waterborne Protozoan Parasites
Entamoeba species
Giardia
In addition to Foodborne Mycotoxins: Chemistry, Biology, Ecology, and Toxicology
Yersinia enterocolitica
Yersinia enterocolitica includes well-established pathogens and environmental strains that are ubiquitous in terrestrial and fresh water ecosystems
. Evidence from large outbreaks of yersiniosis and from epidemiological studies of sporadic cases has shown that Y. enterocolitica is a food borne pathogen, and that in many cases pork is implicated as the source of infection.
The pig is the only animal consumed by man that regularly harbours pathogenic Y. enterocolitica
. An important property of the bacterium is its ability to multiply at temperatures near to 0ƒC, and therefore in many chilled foods
. The pathogenic serovars (mainly O:3, O:5,27, O:8 and O:9) show different geographical distribution
The appearance of strains of serovars O:3 and O:9 in Europe, Japan in the 1970s, and in North America by the end of the 1980s, is an example of a global pandemic.
The possible risk of reactive arthritis following infection with Y. enterocolitica has led to further attention being paid to this microbe
Vibrio spp
Vibrio species are prevalent in estuarine and marine environments and seven species can cause seafood borne infections
Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 serovtypes produce cholera toxin and are agents of cholera. However, fecal-oral route infections in the terrestrial environment are responsible for epidemic cholera.
V. cholerae non-O1/O139 strains may cause gastroenteritis through production of known toxins or unknown mechanism
Vibrio parahaemolytitucs strains capable of producing thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) and/or TDH-related hemolysin are most important cause of gastroenteritis associated with seafood consumption
Vibrio vulnificus is responsible for seafoodborne primary septicemia and its infectivity depends primarily on the risk factors of the host.
V. vulnificus infection has the highest case fatality rate (50%) of any food borne pathogen
Four other species (Vibrio mimicus, Vibrio hollisae, Vibrio fluvialis, and Vibrio furnissii) that have potential to cause gastroenteritis have been reported
Some strains of these species produce known toxins but the pathogenic mechanism is largely not understood
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of confirmed bacterial foodborne disease worldwide
Food poisoning episodes are characterized by symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea that occur shortly after ingestion of S. aureus-contaminated food.
The symptoms arise from ingestion of preformed enterotoxin, which accounts for the short incubation time.
Staphylococcal enterotoxins are a family of sequence similar, but serologically distinct proteins
. These proteins have the additional property of being superantigens and, as such, have adverse effects on the immune system
The enterotoxin genes are accessory genetic elements in S. aureus, meaning that not all strains of this organism are enterotoxin-producing.
The enterotoxin genes are found on prophage, plasmids, and pathogenicity islands in different strains of Expression of the enterotoxin genes is often under the control of global virulence gene regulatory systems S. aureus.
Although much progress has been made recently in defining enterotoxin structure and superantigenicity properties, much remains to be learned regarding the binding of enterotoxins to receptors in the gastrointestinal tract and how toxin production leads to the symptoms associated with staphylococcal food poisoning.
Campylobacter Infections
Campylobacter spp., primarily C. jejuni subsp. jejuni is one of the major causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in the U.S. and worldwide.
Campylobacter infection is primarily a foodborne illness, usually without complications; however, serious sequelae such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome occur in a small subset of infected patients
Detection of C. jejuni in clinical samples is readily accomplished by culture and non-culture methods, although improvements in diagnostic approaches are needed
A significant body of knowledge exists on the epidemiology of Campylobacter infections; however, much less is known about the mechanism of disease, despite over 2 decades of research.
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes is Gram-positive foodborne bacterial pathogen and the causative agent of human listeriosis
The organism has served as a model for the study of intracellular pathogenesis for several decades and many aspects of the pathogenic process are well understood
Listeriae are acquired primarily through the consumption of contaminated foods including soft cheese, raw milk, deli salads, and ready-to-eat foods such as luncheon meats and frankfurters
Although L. monocytogenes infection is usually limited to individuals that are immunocompromised, the high mortality rate associated with human listeriosis makes L. monocytogenes the leading cause of death amongst foodborne bacterial pathogens .
As a result, tremendous effort has been made at developing methods for the isolation, detection and control of L. monocytogenes in foods.
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes is Gram-positive foodborne bacterial pathogen and the causative agent of human listeriosis
The organism has served as a model for the study of intracellular pathogenesis for several decades and many aspects of the pathogenic process are well understood
Listeriae are acquired primarily through the consumption of contaminated foods including soft cheese, raw milk, deli salads, and ready-to-eat foods such as luncheon meats and frankfurters
Although L. monocytogenes infection is usually limited to individuals that are immunocompromised, the high mortality rate associated with human listeriosis makes L. monocytogenes the leading cause of death amongst foodborne bacterial pathogens .
As a result, tremendous effort has been made at developing methods for the isolation, detection and control of L. monocytogenes in foods.
Salmonella spp
The second half of the 20th century saw the emergence of Salmonella serotypes that became associated with new food sources (i.e. chicken eggs) and the emergence of Salmonella serotypes with resistance against multiple antibiotics.
Shigella spp
Shigella species are members of the family Enterobacteriacae and are Gram negative, non-motile rods
Four subgroups exist based on O-antigen structure and biochemical properties; S. dysenteriae (subgroup A), S. flexneri (subgroup B), S. boydii (subgroup C) and S. sonnei (subgroup D).
Clinical manifestations include mild to severe diarrhea with or without blood, fever, tenesmus, and abdominal pain.
Further complications of the disease may be seizures, toxic megacolon, reactive arthritis and hemolytic uremic syndrome
. Transmission of the pathogen is by the fecal-oral route, commonly through food and water
The infectious dose ranges from 10-100 organisms. Shigella spp. have a sophisticated pathogenic mechanism to invade colonic epithelial cells of the host, man and higher primates, and the ability to multiply intracellularly and spread from cell to adjacent cell via actin polymerization
Diarrhea-inducing Escherichia coli
For many years, E. coli was considered a commensal of human and animal intestinal tracts with low virulence potential.
Today, it is well known that many strains of E. coli act as pathogens inducing serious gastrointestinal diseases and even death in humans.
There are six major categories of E. coli strains that cause enteric diseases in humans including the
(1) enterohemorrhagic E. coli, which cause hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (2) enterotoxigenic E. coli, which induce traveler's diarrhea
(3) enteropathogenic E. coli, which cause a persistent diarrhea in children living in developing countries
(4) enteroaggregative E. coli, which provoke diarrhea in children
(5) enteroinvasive E. coli that are biochemically and genetically related to Shigella species and can induce diarrhea
(6) diffusely adherent E. coli, which cause diarrhea and are distinguished by a characteristic type of adherence to mammalian cells.
Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium botulinum produces extremely potent neurotoxins that result in the severe neuroparalytic disease, botulism
Although of lower lethality, the enterotoxin produced by C. perfringens, during sporulation of vegetative cells in the host intestine, still results in debilitating acute diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Sales of refrigerated, processed foods of extended durability including sous-vide foods, chilled ready-to-eat meals, and cook-chill foods have increased over recent years
As a result of conditions accommodating growth, anaerobic spore-formers have been identified as the primary microbiological concerns in these foods
. Heightened awareness over intentional food source tampering with botulinum neurotoxin has arisen with respect to genes encoding the toxins that are capable of transfer to nontoxigenic clostridia
Similarly, enterotoxin produced by C. perfringens and the genomic location of the cpe gene has epidemiologic significance for understanding the capability to cause foodborne disease in humans
The susceptibility of these bacterial spore-formers to physical and chemical agents is examined as well as recommended control measures
This information is useful in developing molecular strategies to study virulence genes and their regulation as a means to safer foods.
Bacillus cereus
The Bacillus cereus group comprises six members: B. anthracis, B. cereus, B. mycoides, B. pseudomycoides, B. thuringiensis and B. weihenstephanensis
. These species are closely related and should be placed within one species, except for B. anthracis that possesses specific large virulence plasmids
. . B. cereus is a normal soil inhabitant and is frequently isolated from a variety of foods, including vegetables, dairy products and meat.
. It causes an emetic or a diarrhea type of food-associated illness that is becoming increasingly important in the industrialized world
. Some patients may experience both types of illness simultaneously. The diarrhoeal type of illness is most prevalent in the western hemisphere, whereas the emetic type is most prevalent in Japan.
Desserts, meat dishes, and dairy products are the foods most frequently associated with diarrhoeal illness, whereas rice and pasta are the most common vehicles of emetic illness
The emetic toxin (cereulide) has been isolated and characterized; it is a small ring peptide synthesised non-ribosomally by a peptide synthetase.
Three types of B. cereus enterotoxins involved in foodborne outbreaks have been identified.
Two of these enterotoxins are three-component proteins and are related, while the last is a one-component protein (CytK).
)Deaths have been recorded both by strains that produce the emetic toxin and by a strain producing only CytK
Some strains of the B. cereus group are able to grow at refrigeration temperatures
. These variants raise concern about the safety of cooked, refrigerated foods with an extended shelf life. B. cereus spores adhere to many surfaces and survive normal washing and disinfection (except for hypochlorite and UVC) procedures
Food- and Waterborne Enteric Viruses
Food- and waterborne viruses contribute to a substantial number of illnesses throughout the world. Among those most commonly known are hepatitis A virus, rotavirus, astrovirus, enteric adenovirus, hepatitis E virus, and the human caliciviruses consisting of the noroviruses and the Sapporo viruses
. they are transmitted by the fecal-oral route, often by ingestion of contaminated food and water
Food-and Waterborne Protozoan Parasites
Protozoan parasites have been associated with food and waterborne outbreaks causing illness in humans. Although parasites are more commonly found in developing countries, developed countries have also experienced several foodborne outbreaks. Contaminants may be inadvertently introduced to the foods by inadequate handling practices, either on the farm or during processing of ready-to-eat foods. In some instances, this contamination occurred in endemic regions and is carried to non-endemic areas where an outbreak is initiated. Other protozoan parasites can be found worldwide, either infecting wild animals or in an environment such as water and eventually finding its way to crops grown for human consumption. Parasites can infect immunocompetent individuals, however the clinical presentation can be much more severe and prolonged in immunocompromissed individuals.
Viable but Non culturable Bacteria in Food Environments
Cells in the viable but non culturable (VBNC) state are alive, but undetectable by routine microbiological methods.
The presence of such cells in foods presents a special concern, especially when they are human pathogens.
Biology of the VBNC state and the factors which induce it, the food borne pathogens that are known to enter this state, how cells resuscitate back to the actively growing state, and the importance of the VBNC state in food microbiology are in need for study
Approaches for Detection, Identification, and Analysis of Foodborne Pathogens
Traditional microbiological methods for testing foods for the presence of pathogens rely on
-Growth in culture media, followed by isolation, and biochemical and serological identification.
Traditional methods are laborious and time consuming, requiring a few days to a week or longer to complete. Rapid detection of pathogens in food is essential for ensuring the safety of food for consumers, and in the past 25 years, advances in biotechnology have resulted in the development of rapid methods that reduce the analysis time.
Two major categories of rapid methods include
- Immunologic or antibody-based assays
-Genetic-based assays such as the polymerase chain reaction.
-Generation assays under development include biosensors and DNA chips that potentially have the capability for near real-time and on-line monitoring for multiple pathogens in foods
-Biosensor-based Detection of Food borne Pathogens
The sensitive, rapid, and specific detection of microorganisms and toxins that taint the food supply has become increasingly important as large-scale manufacture with wide distribution can threaten large populations when a contamination occurs
Molecular Typing and Differentiation of Food borne Bacterial Pathogens
Molecular typing of food borne pathogens is used to generate approximations of population variation, definition of specific clonal lineages, comparison of isolates of similar species from different geographical locations, and changes of types within the population over time.
Thus, it can be used to confirm the identity of organisms responsible for sporadic cases or foodborne outbreaks, as well as facilitating trace-back investigations and food product recalls.
Biosensor-based Detection of Food borne Pathogens
The sensitive, rapid, and specific detection of microorganisms and toxins that taint the food supply has become increasingly important as large-scale manufacture with wide distribution can threaten large populations when a contamination occurs
Molecular Typing and Differentiation of Food borne Bacterial Pathogens
Molecular typing of food borne pathogens is used to generate approximations of population variation, definition of specific clonal lineages, comparison of isolates of similar species from different geographical locations, and changes of types within the population over time.
Thus, it can be used to confirm the identity of organisms responsible for sporadic cases or foodborne outbreaks, as well as facilitating trace-back investigations and food product recalls.
Pathogens well established as food borne pathogens.
Viable but Nonculturable Bacteria in Food Environments
Approaches for Detection, Identification, and Analysis of Foodborne Pathogens
-Microbiological methods for detection of food borne pathogens:
Traditional methods
Recent Methods.
The followings are well established as food borne pathogens
Bacteria
Yersinia enterocolitica
-Vibrio spp.
-Staphylococcus aureus
- Campylobacter Infections.
-Listeria monocytogenes
-Salmonella spp.
-Shigella spp.
-Escherichia coli
-Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium perfringens -Bacillus cereus
Viruses
hepatitis A virus,
rotavirus, astrovirus,
enteric adenovirus,
hepatitis E virus,
human caliciviruses consisting of the noroviruses and the --Sapporo viruses
Food-and Waterborne Protozoan Parasites
Entamoeba species
Giardia
In addition to Foodborne Mycotoxins: Chemistry, Biology, Ecology, and Toxicology
Yersinia enterocolitica
Yersinia enterocolitica includes well-established pathogens and environmental strains that are ubiquitous in terrestrial and fresh water ecosystems
. Evidence from large outbreaks of yersiniosis and from epidemiological studies of sporadic cases has shown that Y. enterocolitica is a food borne pathogen, and that in many cases pork is implicated as the source of infection.
The pig is the only animal consumed by man that regularly harbours pathogenic Y. enterocolitica
. An important property of the bacterium is its ability to multiply at temperatures near to 0ƒC, and therefore in many chilled foods
. The pathogenic serovars (mainly O:3, O:5,27, O:8 and O:9) show different geographical distribution
The appearance of strains of serovars O:3 and O:9 in Europe, Japan in the 1970s, and in North America by the end of the 1980s, is an example of a global pandemic.
The possible risk of reactive arthritis following infection with Y. enterocolitica has led to further attention being paid to this microbe
Vibrio spp
Vibrio species are prevalent in estuarine and marine environments and seven species can cause seafood borne infections
Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 serovtypes produce cholera toxin and are agents of cholera. However, fecal-oral route infections in the terrestrial environment are responsible for epidemic cholera.
V. cholerae non-O1/O139 strains may cause gastroenteritis through production of known toxins or unknown mechanism
Vibrio parahaemolytitucs strains capable of producing thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) and/or TDH-related hemolysin are most important cause of gastroenteritis associated with seafood consumption
Vibrio vulnificus is responsible for seafoodborne primary septicemia and its infectivity depends primarily on the risk factors of the host.
V. vulnificus infection has the highest case fatality rate (50%) of any food borne pathogen
Four other species (Vibrio mimicus, Vibrio hollisae, Vibrio fluvialis, and Vibrio furnissii) that have potential to cause gastroenteritis have been reported
Some strains of these species produce known toxins but the pathogenic mechanism is largely not understood
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of confirmed bacterial foodborne disease worldwide
Food poisoning episodes are characterized by symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea that occur shortly after ingestion of S. aureus-contaminated food.
The symptoms arise from ingestion of preformed enterotoxin, which accounts for the short incubation time.
Staphylococcal enterotoxins are a family of sequence similar, but serologically distinct proteins
. These proteins have the additional property of being superantigens and, as such, have adverse effects on the immune system
The enterotoxin genes are accessory genetic elements in S. aureus, meaning that not all strains of this organism are enterotoxin-producing.
The enterotoxin genes are found on prophage, plasmids, and pathogenicity islands in different strains of Expression of the enterotoxin genes is often under the control of global virulence gene regulatory systems S. aureus.
Although much progress has been made recently in defining enterotoxin structure and superantigenicity properties, much remains to be learned regarding the binding of enterotoxins to receptors in the gastrointestinal tract and how toxin production leads to the symptoms associated with staphylococcal food poisoning.
Campylobacter Infections
Campylobacter spp., primarily C. jejuni subsp. jejuni is one of the major causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in the U.S. and worldwide.
Campylobacter infection is primarily a foodborne illness, usually without complications; however, serious sequelae such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome occur in a small subset of infected patients
Detection of C. jejuni in clinical samples is readily accomplished by culture and non-culture methods, although improvements in diagnostic approaches are needed
A significant body of knowledge exists on the epidemiology of Campylobacter infections; however, much less is known about the mechanism of disease, despite over 2 decades of research.
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes is Gram-positive foodborne bacterial pathogen and the causative agent of human listeriosis
The organism has served as a model for the study of intracellular pathogenesis for several decades and many aspects of the pathogenic process are well understood
Listeriae are acquired primarily through the consumption of contaminated foods including soft cheese, raw milk, deli salads, and ready-to-eat foods such as luncheon meats and frankfurters
Although L. monocytogenes infection is usually limited to individuals that are immunocompromised, the high mortality rate associated with human listeriosis makes L. monocytogenes the leading cause of death amongst foodborne bacterial pathogens .
As a result, tremendous effort has been made at developing methods for the isolation, detection and control of L. monocytogenes in foods.
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes is Gram-positive foodborne bacterial pathogen and the causative agent of human listeriosis
The organism has served as a model for the study of intracellular pathogenesis for several decades and many aspects of the pathogenic process are well understood
Listeriae are acquired primarily through the consumption of contaminated foods including soft cheese, raw milk, deli salads, and ready-to-eat foods such as luncheon meats and frankfurters
Although L. monocytogenes infection is usually limited to individuals that are immunocompromised, the high mortality rate associated with human listeriosis makes L. monocytogenes the leading cause of death amongst foodborne bacterial pathogens .
As a result, tremendous effort has been made at developing methods for the isolation, detection and control of L. monocytogenes in foods.
Salmonella spp
The second half of the 20th century saw the emergence of Salmonella serotypes that became associated with new food sources (i.e. chicken eggs) and the emergence of Salmonella serotypes with resistance against multiple antibiotics.
Shigella spp
Shigella species are members of the family Enterobacteriacae and are Gram negative, non-motile rods
Four subgroups exist based on O-antigen structure and biochemical properties; S. dysenteriae (subgroup A), S. flexneri (subgroup B), S. boydii (subgroup C) and S. sonnei (subgroup D).
Clinical manifestations include mild to severe diarrhea with or without blood, fever, tenesmus, and abdominal pain.
Further complications of the disease may be seizures, toxic megacolon, reactive arthritis and hemolytic uremic syndrome
. Transmission of the pathogen is by the fecal-oral route, commonly through food and water
The infectious dose ranges from 10-100 organisms. Shigella spp. have a sophisticated pathogenic mechanism to invade colonic epithelial cells of the host, man and higher primates, and the ability to multiply intracellularly and spread from cell to adjacent cell via actin polymerization
Diarrhea-inducing Escherichia coli
For many years, E. coli was considered a commensal of human and animal intestinal tracts with low virulence potential.
Today, it is well known that many strains of E. coli act as pathogens inducing serious gastrointestinal diseases and even death in humans.
There are six major categories of E. coli strains that cause enteric diseases in humans including the
(1) enterohemorrhagic E. coli, which cause hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (2) enterotoxigenic E. coli, which induce traveler's diarrhea
(3) enteropathogenic E. coli, which cause a persistent diarrhea in children living in developing countries
(4) enteroaggregative E. coli, which provoke diarrhea in children
(5) enteroinvasive E. coli that are biochemically and genetically related to Shigella species and can induce diarrhea
(6) diffusely adherent E. coli, which cause diarrhea and are distinguished by a characteristic type of adherence to mammalian cells.
Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium botulinum produces extremely potent neurotoxins that result in the severe neuroparalytic disease, botulism
Although of lower lethality, the enterotoxin produced by C. perfringens, during sporulation of vegetative cells in the host intestine, still results in debilitating acute diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Sales of refrigerated, processed foods of extended durability including sous-vide foods, chilled ready-to-eat meals, and cook-chill foods have increased over recent years
As a result of conditions accommodating growth, anaerobic spore-formers have been identified as the primary microbiological concerns in these foods
. Heightened awareness over intentional food source tampering with botulinum neurotoxin has arisen with respect to genes encoding the toxins that are capable of transfer to nontoxigenic clostridia
Similarly, enterotoxin produced by C. perfringens and the genomic location of the cpe gene has epidemiologic significance for understanding the capability to cause foodborne disease in humans
The susceptibility of these bacterial spore-formers to physical and chemical agents is examined as well as recommended control measures
This information is useful in developing molecular strategies to study virulence genes and their regulation as a means to safer foods.
Bacillus cereus
The Bacillus cereus group comprises six members: B. anthracis, B. cereus, B. mycoides, B. pseudomycoides, B. thuringiensis and B. weihenstephanensis
. These species are closely related and should be placed within one species, except for B. anthracis that possesses specific large virulence plasmids
. . B. cereus is a normal soil inhabitant and is frequently isolated from a variety of foods, including vegetables, dairy products and meat.
. It causes an emetic or a diarrhea type of food-associated illness that is becoming increasingly important in the industrialized world
. Some patients may experience both types of illness simultaneously. The diarrhoeal type of illness is most prevalent in the western hemisphere, whereas the emetic type is most prevalent in Japan.
Desserts, meat dishes, and dairy products are the foods most frequently associated with diarrhoeal illness, whereas rice and pasta are the most common vehicles of emetic illness
The emetic toxin (cereulide) has been isolated and characterized; it is a small ring peptide synthesised non-ribosomally by a peptide synthetase.
Three types of B. cereus enterotoxins involved in foodborne outbreaks have been identified.
Two of these enterotoxins are three-component proteins and are related, while the last is a one-component protein (CytK).
)Deaths have been recorded both by strains that produce the emetic toxin and by a strain producing only CytK
Some strains of the B. cereus group are able to grow at refrigeration temperatures
. These variants raise concern about the safety of cooked, refrigerated foods with an extended shelf life. B. cereus spores adhere to many surfaces and survive normal washing and disinfection (except for hypochlorite and UVC) procedures
Food- and Waterborne Enteric Viruses
Food- and waterborne viruses contribute to a substantial number of illnesses throughout the world. Among those most commonly known are hepatitis A virus, rotavirus, astrovirus, enteric adenovirus, hepatitis E virus, and the human caliciviruses consisting of the noroviruses and the Sapporo viruses
. they are transmitted by the fecal-oral route, often by ingestion of contaminated food and water
Food-and Waterborne Protozoan Parasites
Protozoan parasites have been associated with food and waterborne outbreaks causing illness in humans. Although parasites are more commonly found in developing countries, developed countries have also experienced several foodborne outbreaks. Contaminants may be inadvertently introduced to the foods by inadequate handling practices, either on the farm or during processing of ready-to-eat foods. In some instances, this contamination occurred in endemic regions and is carried to non-endemic areas where an outbreak is initiated. Other protozoan parasites can be found worldwide, either infecting wild animals or in an environment such as water and eventually finding its way to crops grown for human consumption. Parasites can infect immunocompetent individuals, however the clinical presentation can be much more severe and prolonged in immunocompromissed individuals.
Viable but Non culturable Bacteria in Food Environments
Cells in the viable but non culturable (VBNC) state are alive, but undetectable by routine microbiological methods.
The presence of such cells in foods presents a special concern, especially when they are human pathogens.
Biology of the VBNC state and the factors which induce it, the food borne pathogens that are known to enter this state, how cells resuscitate back to the actively growing state, and the importance of the VBNC state in food microbiology are in need for study
Approaches for Detection, Identification, and Analysis of Foodborne Pathogens
Traditional microbiological methods for testing foods for the presence of pathogens rely on
-Growth in culture media, followed by isolation, and biochemical and serological identification.
Traditional methods are laborious and time consuming, requiring a few days to a week or longer to complete. Rapid detection of pathogens in food is essential for ensuring the safety of food for consumers, and in the past 25 years, advances in biotechnology have resulted in the development of rapid methods that reduce the analysis time.
Two major categories of rapid methods include
- Immunologic or antibody-based assays
-Genetic-based assays such as the polymerase chain reaction.
-Generation assays under development include biosensors and DNA chips that potentially have the capability for near real-time and on-line monitoring for multiple pathogens in foods
-Biosensor-based Detection of Food borne Pathogens
The sensitive, rapid, and specific detection of microorganisms and toxins that taint the food supply has become increasingly important as large-scale manufacture with wide distribution can threaten large populations when a contamination occurs
Molecular Typing and Differentiation of Food borne Bacterial Pathogens
Molecular typing of food borne pathogens is used to generate approximations of population variation, definition of specific clonal lineages, comparison of isolates of similar species from different geographical locations, and changes of types within the population over time.
Thus, it can be used to confirm the identity of organisms responsible for sporadic cases or foodborne outbreaks, as well as facilitating trace-back investigations and food product recalls.
Biosensor-based Detection of Food borne Pathogens
The sensitive, rapid, and specific detection of microorganisms and toxins that taint the food supply has become increasingly important as large-scale manufacture with wide distribution can threaten large populations when a contamination occurs
Molecular Typing and Differentiation of Food borne Bacterial Pathogens
Molecular typing of food borne pathogens is used to generate approximations of population variation, definition of specific clonal lineages, comparison of isolates of similar species from different geographical locations, and changes of types within the population over time.
Thus, it can be used to confirm the identity of organisms responsible for sporadic cases or foodborne outbreaks, as well as facilitating trace-back investigations and food product recalls.
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