Typhoid fever (Salmonella Typhi) has declined dramatically in Korea over three decades, but residual seasonality, demographic patterns and provincial spatial concentration have not been systematically reanalysed. Using all 3535 typhoid cases reported to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency between 2001 and 2024 (3051 domestic and 484 imported [13.7%]), we quantified the long-term annual trend with the Hamed-Rao modified Mann-Kendall test (τ = -0.667, p = 0.0011) and a negative-binomial generalized linear model (GLM) yielding a Sen slope of -7.3%/year (95% CI -9.9 to -4.4); a parametric-bootstrap analysis of the runner-up 1-breakpoint GLM identified 2018 as the most likely structural change point (95% CI [2009, 2022]). A continuous Morlet wavelet transform of the weekly series revealed annual periodicity that exceeded a 1000-simulation AR(1) red-noise null by a factor of 2.60. Direct age standardization and age-band-specific Mann-Kendall tests showed statistically significant declines in every age stratum. Provincial spatial analysis (16 sido) gave a global Moran's I of 0.403 (p = 0.0083, 9999 permutations) under a Queen + k-nearest-neighbor-2 baseline scheme, with the southeastern coastal cluster (Gyeongnam-Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongbuk axis) preserved across 12 alternative weighting schemes after empirical Bayes shrinkage of sigungu-level rates and across two equal-length time strata; one province (Ulsan) survived Benjamini-Hochberg FDR adjustment of the 16 LISA p-values. Korean typhoid has continued its long-term decline; residual incidence concentrates in the southeastern coastal corridor, and imported cases-including ciprofloxacin-resistant H58 strains from South Asia-now form a substantial fraction of notifications, motivating pre-travel counseling and post-travel vigilance.

Animal-derived foodstuffs are essential for human nutrition but may harbor pathogens responsible for foodborne diseases. In Maghreb countries (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia), data on foodborne pathogen hazards are often limited and fragmented. To address this gap, the present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the overall prevalence of foodborne pathogens in animal-derived foods in the Maghreb region from 2004 to 2025. A systematic literature search was conducted in two electronic databases (PubMed and Scopus) following PRISMA guidelines. A total of 80 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using the meta package in R software, applying a random-effects model. The pooled prevalence of pathogens in foods of animal origin was 26.6% (95% CI: 20.0-33.8), with high heterogeneity (I2 = 98.9%). The highest contamination was observed in raw poultry meat (36.1%). Eleven foodborne bacterial species were reported. Salmonella spp. was the most frequently reported (n = 18), with a pooled prevalence of 14.2%, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (28.3%, n = 16) and Escherichia coli (36%, n = 16). Most studies were conducted in Algeria and Morocco, with country-level prevalence ranging from 22.1% to 38.1%. This review reveals a substantial burden of foodborne pathogens in the Maghreb region. Enhanced surveillance and targeted control measures are essential to improve food safety and protect public health.

Outbreak Summaries is a Canadian enteric, food, and waterborne outbreak surveillance system designed to support the collection and analysis of Canadian outbreak data. This analysis summarizes the foodborne outbreak investigations submitted between 2008 and 2023. Finalized reports of foodborne outbreak investigations submitted by all participating jurisdictions were extracted and characterized by pathogen, outcomes, food vehicles, and pathogen-food vehicle pairs. Annual trends in submissions and jurisdictional scope were explored. A total of 452 foodborne outbreaks were submitted by 11 participating provinces and territories alongside the Public Health Agency of Canada included in the analysis. A total of 14,650 illnesses, 1268 hospitalizations, and 68 deaths were reported. Almost 70% of all submitted outbreaks were caused by bacteria, and viruses accounted for 20%. Salmonella was the most common cause of outbreaks (184/434, 42% of outbreaks with a known pathogen) and outbreak-associated illnesses (7003/14,418, 48%), followed by Norovirus outbreaks (72/434, 16%) and outbreak-associated illnesses (2599/14,418, 18%). The highest absolute number of hospitalizations was attributed to Salmonella (n = 796), followed by Escherichia coli (n = 249), and Listeria monocytogenes (n = 97). L. monocytogenes had the highest hospitalization rate (94%, n = 97), and case fatality rate (17%, n = 35). A confirmed or suspected food vehicle was identified in 230 outbreaks (51%), accounting for 10,587 outbreak-associated cases (72%). The most frequently identified food vehicles were raw vegetables (n = 36, 15.7%), chicken (n = 29, 12.6%), and fresh shellfish (n = 17, 7.4%). The pathogen-food pairs associated with the most outbreaks were Salmonella in chicken (26/221) and whole eggs (15/221) and E. coli in raw vegetables (13/221). Analysis of foodborne outbreaks in the context of pathogens and food vehicles supports the investigative work of public health authorities in Canada. The expansion of program participants and more than 15 years of surveillance data provide a more comprehensive understanding of the foodborne outbreak landscape in Canada.

This study evaluated the effects of a phytogenic-based liquid anti-mycotoxin agent (grape and olive extracts) on the redox status, health, and performance of broilers. The experimental broilers were divided into two groups: (a) group C (control group) with 22,950 broilers and (b) group T (treatment group) with 23,256 broilers, including administration of 500 mL/ton of the tested agent in drinking water on the 9th-11th, and on the 23rd-25th and 31st-33rd day. A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry with a quadrupole time of flight analyzer was performed with fungal metabolites on liver samples. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs), protein carbonyls (CARBs), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total protein, and liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase) were determined in plasma. The relative abundance of the tenuazonic acid (TeA) was calculated for both groups, showing that the exposure of TeA was 83% lower in group T. TBARS and CARBs, as well as the levels of liver enzymes and total proteins, were significantly reduced, while TAC was increased in group T. No differences in mortality rate and a potential improvement in the growth performance of group T were noticed. In conclusion, administering a phytogenic-based liquid anti-mycotoxin agent to broiler positively affects redox status and mycotoxin management.

Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of bovine mastitis, relies on several virulence factors, with biofilm formation being a key contributor to its pathogenicity. The present study investigated the occurrence of S. aureus as etiological agents in bovine mastitis with a focus on the existence of various virulence factors and antibiotic resistance status. Among 120 milk samples collected from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, 36 (30%) S. aureus strains were confirmed by conventional methods and PCR. Phenotypic analysis revealed hemolysin (55.55%) and coagulase production (36.11%), while molecular analysis revealed the presence of leukotoxin (luksF, 19.44%), hemolysin (hlb, 58.33%), coagulase (coa, 63.88%), and toxic shock syndrome toxin (tsst-1, 30.55%) genes. Biofilm production ability was detected in 97.22% (crystal violet assay) and 86.11% (Congo red agar assay) strains. Biofilm-associated genes, namely, icaA (80.55%, 29/36), icaB (75%, 27/36), icaC (69.44%, 25/36), icaD (86.11%, 31/36), and MSCRAMMs genes, namely, clfA (58.33%, 21/36), clfB (75%, 27/36), fnbA (75%, 27/36), fnbB (55.55%, 20/36), bap (38.88%, 14/36), bbp (83.33%, 30/36), ebps (69.44%, 25/36), eno (66.66%, 24/36), fib (41.66%, 15/36), and cna (8.33%, 3/36), were also detected. Antimicrobial resistance was observed in 88.88% isolates, with 72.22% exhibiting multidrug resistance (MDR). Among the isolates, 83.33% were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and mecA, femA, and femB genes were present either singly or in combination in 76.66% of the isolates. Efflux pump protein genes, namely, norA, norB, norC, mdeA, mepA, and sepA, were detected either singly or in combination in S. aureus isolates. 61.53% of MDR-MRSA isolates harbored all six efflux pump genes. According to this study, S. aureus of mastitis origin harbors various virulence, antibiotic resistance, biofilm-forming, and efflux pump genes. Bovine mastitis-derived MDR S. aureus isolates can pose a significant public health risk and need urgent attention to formulate strategies for their control and preventing transfer to the human food chain.

Cronobacter sakazakii, an opportunistic foodborne pathogen associated with powdered infant formula, causes severe neonatal infections, yet its interaction with gastric epithelial cells remains poorly characterized. Here, we conducted a preliminary in vitro study to evaluate early host-pathogen responses of C. sakazakii in AGS gastric epithelial cells. AGS cells were exposed to C. sakazakii ATCC 29544 at a multiplicity of infection of 100 for 2 h, and cytotoxicity and transcriptional responses were assessed by viability assay, gentamicin protection assay, and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Infection significantly reduced AGS cell viability and increased expression of bacterial virulence-associated genes (ompA and hfq) and host inflammatory genes (IL-8 and NF-ƙB) compared with mock-infected controls (p < 0.001). Gentamicin-protected recovery was consistent with bacterial entry into AGS cells, although confirmatory imaging-based analyses were not performed. These findings indicate that C. sakazakii (ATCC 29544) can elicit early cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory responses in AGS gastric epithelial cells under in vitro conditions, supporting the need for confirmatory studies in more physiologically relevant gastric study models.

This study aimed to quantify the global prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in foods and to evaluate its implications for food safety and public health. A comprehensive search of international databases was conducted from inception to May 17, 2025. A total of 34 eligible studies, encompassing 142 datasets from 22 countries across 5 continents, were included. Food items were categorized into eight groups: leafy vegetables, non-leafy vegetables, fruits and juices, mixed salads, raw meats, dairy products, eggs, and unspecified raw vegetables. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model, with heterogeneity assessed via the I2 statistic. The estimated global prevalence of T. gondii in food samples was 8.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.5-10.3%). Pooled prevalence was 4.1% (95% CI: 2.6-6.2%) when using microscopic techniques, but significantly higher at 9.9% (95% CI: 7.7-12.7%) with molecular methods. The highest contamination rates were found in raw meats (11.9%) and non-leafy vegetables (11.4%), followed by unspecified raw vegetables (7.1%), leafy vegetables (6.3%), mixed salads (5.4%), fruits and juices (5.1%), and dairy products (2%). Subgroup analyses demonstrated variability in prevalence across factors such as publication year, country, continent, country development status, Human Development Index, climate zone, sample size, and diagnostic method. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings, and meta-regression showed that sample size was the only significant source of heterogeneity. Genotyping data, where available, indicated the presence of genotypes I and II in contaminated samples. The pooled prevalence of 8.2% offers a benchmark but should be interpreted cautiously due to study heterogeneity and uneven regional data.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a common food-borne pathogen associated with aquatic foods, posing a major threat to human health worldwide. In this study, 22 isolates from aquatic foods were collected from 70 samples in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China (2023-2025). All isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing, serotyping, and screening for antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors. The results indicated that the most prevalent serotypes were O1 (45.4%), O14 (18.2%), while K -type exhibited greater genetic diversity. Multilocus sequence typing analysis divided the 22 isolates into 10 sequence types (STs), and the predominant ST was ST1823 (18.2%). Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed that 18.2% of isolates (VP363, VP412, VP442, and VP452) were resistant to over five antibiotics. High resistance was observed to ampicillin (100%) and cefazolin (81.82%). A total of 15 antimicrobial resistance genes were identified. Among them, the tet(A) gene was detected in all isolates, while the blaCARB gene was found in the majority of isolates. Notably, the virulence genes tdh and trh were both absent in all strains. In addition, nearly all V. parahaemolyticus isolates in this study were found to harbor genes encoding the type III secretion system. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the characteristics of V. parahaemolyticus from aquatic products and provide fundamental data for ensuring food safety via the control of V. parahaemolyticus contamination.

Chinese-style pork meatballs are widely consumed, yet microbial contamination during processing poses risks to food safety and quality. This study investigated bacterial dynamics and potential contamination sources across seven industrial processing stages of Chinese-style pork meatballs. Culture-based enumeration combined with 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed a significant decline in total bacterial counts from thawing to cooking (p < 0.05), demonstrating the effectiveness of thermal processing. Total bacterial counts increased to 3.49 ± 0.00 log10 CFU/g during the packaging stage, indicating the occurrence of postcooking contamination. This may be primarily attributed to inadequate sanitation and poor hand hygiene. Microbial community analysis showed Chryseobacterium and Acinetobacter were predominant throughout the production chain, while Pseudomonas dominated the packaging stage and final products. Listeriaceae and Weeksellaceae were mainly associated with kneading and thawing stages, respectively. Source tracking indicated that most contamination in final products originated from unidentified sources, reflecting the limitation of SourceTracker when only measured analysis constrained by potential sources is included. These findings highlight critical contamination points in pork meatball processing and provide guidance for targeted hygiene management to improve microbial safety in industrial meat production.

The rising concern of multidrug-resistant pathogens and the unavailability of new antibiotics in the discovery pipeline has generated the need for alternative approaches for their control. Essential oils (EOs) and essential oil's active components (EoCs) have been reported for their antimicrobial effect since long. In this study, we evaluated 11 EOs and 4 EoCs for their antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity. Among EOs, oregano (zone of inhibition [ZOI] = 24.62 ± 8.10 mm), cinnamon (ZOI = 18.38 ± 5.88 mm), cassia (ZOI = 20.23 ± 4.61 mm), and thyme (ZOI = 13.77 ± 5.67 mm), and among EoCs, cinnamaldehyde (ZOI = 24.69 ± 5.83 mm), carvacrol (ZOI = 24.38 ± 7.76 mm), and thymol (ZOI = 22.92 ± 7.43 mm) demonstrated the higher antimicrobial activity against the targeted pathogens. Only cinnamon (ZOI = 16.62 ± 2.58 mm) and cassia (ZOI = 15.24 ± 1.90 mm) were found to be effective as antimicrobial against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Cinnamaldehyde (ZOI = 9.02 ± 2.68 mm) demonstrated weak antimicrobial activity. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and antibiofilm assays were performed in triplicate. Statistical analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed a significant overall difference between treatments (p < 0.05) against both P. aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Specifically, Dunn's multiple comparisons test showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in MIC values between cinnamaldehyde and eugenol for P. aeruginosa with no significant difference in their MBC. For S. aureus, significant variations (p < 0.05) in MIC and MBC were observed between carvacrol and thymol, and between thyme and other oils like tea tree, cumin, and lemongrass. Antibiofilm effect of EOs and EoCs against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus was found at concentration of 0.031% for cinnamon EO and cinnamaldehyde and at 0.015 - 0.007% for carvacrol. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of EOs and EoCs was performed to determine their bioactive compounds. The study highlights that EOs and EoCs can be used as alternative antimicrobials against food spoilage bacteria and drug-resistant pathogens.