Contamination Of Dairy Products Research Articles

The Prevalence of Brucella Spp. in Dairy Products in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Brucellosis, a significant zoonotic disease, threatens food safety substantially, particularly in developing nations such as the Middle East. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the prevalence of Brucella spp. in Iranian milk and dairy products through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A thorough search of international and domestic databases from January 2008 to October 2023 identified 38 relevant studies encompassing 11,130 samples for meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of Brucella spp. in Iranian dairy products was 22% (95% CI: 16-28%). The highest and lowest overall prevalence of Brucella spp. in milk were found in raw goat milk 27% (95% CI: 11-42%) and raw camel milk 15% (95% CI: -0.42 to 72%), respectively. The overall prevalence of traditional cheese, ice cream, and cream is estimated to be 9% (95% CI: -16 to 35%), 2% (95% CI: -2.78 to 2.82%), and 9% (95% CI: -0.94 to 1.12%). Geographical disparities were evident, with Zanjan province reporting the highest contamination rate, 53%, while Razavi Khorasan province had the lowest, 1%. However, the prevalence of Brucella spp. in Iranian dairy products has fluctuated over time, with a significant association between the study year and sample size. Comprehensive planning, robust policy implementation, and rigorous monitoring are imperative to mitigate and ultimately eliminate Brucella contamination in dairy products effectively. Further research is essential to refine prevalence estimates and develop targeted prevention strategies to safeguard public health.

Seroprevalence of Brucella among Patients Visiting a Single-Center Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Brucellosis is a disease that can be contracted by humans through contact with infected animals or animal products. It can be transmitted through contaminated dairy products, so caution must be exercised when handling and preparing food. By taking precautions, the spread of this disease can be mitigated to protect both humans and animals. (1) Brucella spp is a type of bacteria that can cause an infection. The symptoms of this infection can range from mild flu-like symptoms to severe complications that affect different parts of the body. Because Brucella is able to invade the body and avoid the immune system, it's important to get an accurate diagnosis and start treatment as soon as possible. (2). (3)  Method: The study was conducted at Kalkaal Hospital from 2019 to 2023, spanning three years. Patients who went to the hospital's Outpatient department and were screened for Brucella were included in the study. Data on patients' demographics, including their residence, gender, age, and Brucella screening results, were collected and recorded over the study period. The participants' blood samples were gathered and analyzed for Brucella infection through a variety of diagnostic The clinical assessment included an examination of symptoms, medical history, and possible exposure to Brucella. To detect specific antibodies (IgM and IgG) against Brucella present in the blood serum, serological tests such as the Serum Agglutination Test (SAT), ELISA, and Rose Bengal Test were conducted. The blood samples were analyzed to identify the Brucella bacteria through blood cultures. In addition, the presence of Brucella DNA was confirmed in various clinical samples using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The Kalkaal Hospital Research Review Board gave approval for the study protocol. Data cleaning was carried out with the help of Excel. The analysis of data was performed using SPSS software version 25.  Results: According to the analysis of the data, 30.3% of patients were men, and 69.7% of patients were women. The age ranges were 0–19: 1245 (8.1%), 20–29: 3951 (25.7%), 30-39: 3027 (19.7%), 40–49: 1786 (11.6%), and 50+: 4582. (29.9 percent). In addition, 14884 (97.0%) of the outcomes were negative, while only 465 (3.0%) were positive.  Conclusion: The research carried out at Kalkaal Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, has revealed important information about the prevalence of Brucella infection in the area. The results suggest that a significant number of patients have tested positive for Brucella antibodies, which indicates that the disease is a significant burden on the local population. These findings add to the global knowledge of brucellosis and emphasize its severe and long-term effects. It is important for experts in this field to have further discussions and come to a consensus on how to address this issue.

Epidemiological Analysis of Childhood Brucellosis in Duhok, Iraq: A Retrospective Observational Study From 2018 to 2021.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that can spread from animal to human through contaminated dairy products, raw vegetables, and water or via direct contact with infected animal tissues. While the disease affects individuals of all ages, research on its prevalence and clinical profile, particularly in Iraq, is limited. To address this knowledge gap, a retrospective observational study was conducted using data from the Bacterial Serology Laboratory of Heevi Pediatric Teaching Hospital, Duhok, Iraq, from 2018 to 2021. Of the 1,032 suspected cases of brucellosis in children, 72 cases that met the inclusion were analyzed. The study found a 7% prevalence of childhood brucellosis in the Duhok region, with the highest incidence of 7.8% in 2020. The infection rate was age-dependent, with most cases occurring in the year's third quarter. No statistically significant relationship was found between sex and the infection rate. These findings highlight the importance of targeted public health interventions and improved diagnostic protocols to reduce the prevalence of brucellosis among children in this region.

A multicriteria assessment of food safety measures for a large dairy farm in hot weather conditions

Dairy farms are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change through the alteration of raw milk quality and pressure on animal health. Measures in dairy farms are necessary to reduce microbiological risks that may impact animal health and may be passed on to humans through the consumption of contaminated dairy products. However, these additional controls should incur lower environmental impact, have a low cost of implementation, minimal impact on milk property, and sufficient effectiveness to control risks. This study selected a dairy farm located under hot weather conditions to demonstrate how these challenges may be considered. Our objective was to present how a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) could be used to select the appropriate mitigation strategy for this farm among fifteen potential food safety measures.The MCDA framework brought together ten criteria classified into four supra criteria: stakeholder acceptance, food safety effectiveness, environmental impact, and impact on milk properties. The relative performances of various food safety measures scored against the ten criteria were expressed either in qualitative or quantitative values. Ultimately, the outranking MCDA technique, PROMETHEE II, was used to rank the measures.This study ranked the selected four food safety measures, namely, sand bedding, chitosan supplementation, cooling mister operation, and phage spray, after a series of preselection filters. It was found that none of these dominated the others on the ten criteria. However, MCDA has allowed the determination of the best compromise among the selected measures. It was found that an increase in the frequency of changing the sand bedding ranked first, and an increase in the operation of cooling misters was ranked last.The study demonstrated the benefit of MCDA in combining criteria of different nature (stakeholder acceptance, food safety effectiveness, environmental impact, milk properties), values, and scales to prioritize food safety measures. The approach can be applied to other dairy farms eager to limit the impacts of climate change while guaranteeing food safety.

Aflatoxins in maize, milk and dairy products from Serbia.

This study presents data on the occurrence of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in maize and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk and dairy products from Serbia in 2022. A total of 100 maize samples were analysed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, while 107 cow and goat milk, besides dairy products were tested with an ELISA method. Aflatoxins contaminated 78% of the maize samples, with aflatoxin B1 as the most prevalent aflatoxin, also at the highest determined level. All milk samples tested positive for AFM1, while contamination in dairy products ranged from 14% to 100%. The hot and dry weather during the 2022 maize growing season, characterised by moderate to extreme drought conditions, significantly increased maize contamination with aflatoxins, impacting subsequent milk and dairy products contamination. The findings of this study confirm the continuous trend and persistent challenge in Serbia concerning the prevalence of aflatoxins in maize and milk, closely linked to climate change.

Contamination of dairy products with tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite and implications for human exposure

Tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite (AO168), an organophosphite antioxidant, can be oxidized to tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate (AO168 = O) during the production, processing, and application of plastics. AO168 = O can be further transformed to bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol. Here, we discovered the contamination of AO168 and its transformation products in dairy products for the first time. More samples contained AO168 (mean concentration: 8.78 ng/g wet weight [ww]), bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate (mean:11.1 ng/g ww) and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (mean: 46.8 ng/g ww) than AO168 = O (mean: 40.2 ng/g ww). The concentrations of AO168 and its transformation products were significantly correlated, and differed with the packaging material and storage conditions of the product. Estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of AO168 and its transformation products were calculated. Although the overall dietary risks were below one, transformation products accounted for 96.7% of the total hazard quotients. The high-exposure EDIs of total AO168 were above the threshold of toxicological concern (300 ng/kg bw/day), and deserve continual monitoring.

Importance of Rigorous and Ongoing Monitoring of Animal Feed Quality and Storage Conditions to Mitigate Aflatoxin M1 Contamination in Dairy Products in Iran: A Health Policy Brief

Background: Milk and dairy products are essential for global nutrition, and ensuring their safety is crucial. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a carcinogen from contaminated animal feed, poses a significant threat to consumers. Objectives: This "health policy brief" highlights the critical need for meticulous and constant monitoring of Iran's animal feed quality and storage conditions to minimize AFM1 contamination in dairy products. Methods: Comprehensive review papers on AFM1 were reviewed in Iranian dairy products, drawing evidence from various databases. Results: The prevalence of AFM1 contamination in Iranian dairy products, particularly risky for children due to extensive consumption, exceeds safety limits, with livestock feed identified as the primary source. Public health demands rigorous monitoring practices, such as stricter feed quality and storage regulations, regular aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) testing, stakeholder collaboration, and public awareness. There are many benefits associated with these measures, including lowering AFM1 levels in dairy products, improving food safety standards, minimizing AFM1 exposure risks, especially for children, and increasing consumer confidence in the integrity of the Iranian dairy industry. Conclusions: Continuous monitoring of animal feed is crucial to safeguard public health and ensure the safety of Iranian dairy products, particularly for children. This comprehensive approach, collaboration, and public awareness are vital to mitigating AFM1 contamination and promoting Iran's safe and robust dairy industry.

Microbial risk assessment of dairy products from retail marketplaces in Basrah province, Iraq.

Milk-borne bacteria cause degradation of milk products and constitute a significant risk to public health. The objectives of the present study are to determine the microbiological quality of dairy products and to investigate pathogenic microorganisms. A total of 60 samples of raw milk, homemade cheese, and yogurt were randomly selected from different retail marketplaces in Basrah. The bacteriological and biochemical tests were utilized to identify the pathogens in dairy samples, as well as the molecular technique was used as an accurate diagnostic test. The prevalence of contamination of milk products with various isolates was estimated as 50% (95% Cl: 36.8-63.2). The mean of total bacteria count for cheese was 7.29 ± 2.70, raw milk 4.62 ± 2.86, and yogurt 2.87 ± 1.05, with a significant p-value (p = 0.001). The mean count of aerobic spore-forming (ASF) contaminated raw milk was analyzed as 3.77 ± 1.18 and less contamination detected in the yogurt samples with mean of ASF was estimated as 2.52 ± 1.47 SD log 10 CFU/ml. A range of important microorganisms to human health were identified by employing the VITEK_2 system and sequencing 16S rDNA gene, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aerogenosa, and Bacillus cereus. The study indicates that there is a high level of bacterial contamination in dairy products with different bacteria species, which is medically important. Therefore, food safety management must be implemented to reduce biological risks carried by dairy products and ensure healthy food for consumers.

MAIN TECHNOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COW’S MILK IN ACCORDANCE WITH EU REQUIREMENTS

The study is focused on considering the issues of harmonization of domestic standards in accordance with EU requirements, the importance of studies of the quality of cow’s milk in relation to microbial contamination, and the informational capabilities of the indicator of the number of somatic cells in milk. It is outlined that the production of milk in Ukraine has decreased over the last decade, nevertheless, an increase in the average annual milk yield per cow is being monitored, which indicates improvement in the genetic material. The normative documents establishing requirements for the quality of milk and dairy products in accordance with European standards, in particular, for indicators of total bacterial insemination, number of somatic cells, freezing point, fat and protein percentage, were considered. The mentioned indicators in the leading countries for the production of dairy products and the peculiarities of determining its quality were analyzed, in particular, in relation to psychrotrophic microflora. In this sense, the temperature range of contamination of milk by bacteria of various types is given. The main sources and the share of their impact on milk contamination, which spreads through the internal and external environment, are established in the study, as well as the means of their avoidance are indicated. The sanitary condition of milking equipment, the speed and quality of milk cooling after milking (in general, about 70%) have the greatest influence on the contamination of dairy products. Important influencing factors are proper care of the udder, the condition of the floor, the sanitary and hygienic condition of the location of the animals, feed, water, air in the premises, as well as the labour hygiene of the workers on the dairy farm. The important indicator of milk quality is the content of somatic cells, which is the main indicator of infection in the animal’s body and makes it possible to identify cows with mastitis in time. Regular control of the content of somatic cells in milk is especially important during the subclinical course of mastitis. In this sense, it is promising to use express methods of mastitis diagnosis, to establish relationships between the synthesis of milk components and the physiological state of the cow, to determine the genetic determinant of the sensitivity of cows to mastitis pathogens, and therefore to prevent mastitis by targeted selection of animals.

A review of the stability of antibiotic residues in animal products during food processing

Residues of antimicrobials in food have received much attention in recent years because of growing food safety and public health concerns. The ingestion of veterinary drug residues in edible animal parts and contaminated dairy products constitutes a potential health hazard for its consumers, including, specifically, the possibility of developing multidrug resistance, carcinogenicity, and disruption of intestinal normal microflora. Therefore, the aim of the study was to review the stability of food processing on the antibiotic residues in animal products. We have seen that different cooking procedures, heating temperatures, storage times (cooling and freezing), fermentation, and pH have the significant reduction of drug residues in animal products. Several studies have reported the use of thermal treatments and sterilization to decrease the quantity of antibiotics such as tetracycline, oxytetracycline, macrolides, sulfonamides, azithromycin, chlortetracycline, and doxycycline in animal products. The presence of antibiotic residues in raw milk samples is more than prescribed limits by international regulations, leading to inhibition of growth of starter microorganisms during manufacturing processes of dairy products. Time and temperature of heating, freezing degree, medium pH, and antibiotic type were the most important factors the effect on the stability of the antibiotic residue in food products.

Quantitative risk ranking of mycotoxins in milk under climate change scenarios

Mycotoxins are toxic fungal metabolites that may occur in crops. Mycotoxins may carry-over into bovine milk if bovines ingest mycotoxin-contaminated feed. Due to climate change, there may be a potential increase in the prevalence and concentration of mycotoxins in crops. However, the toxicity to humans and the carry-over rate of mycotoxins from feed to milk from bovines varies considerably. This research aimed to rank emerging and existing mycotoxins under different climate change scenarios based on their occurrence in milk and their toxicity to humans. The quantitative risk ranking took a probabilistic approach, using Monte-Carlo simulation to take account of input uncertainties and variabilities. Mycotoxins were ranked based on their hazard quotient, calculated using estimated daily intake and tolerable daily intake values. Four climate change scenarios were assessed, including an Irish baseline model in addition to best-case, worst-case, and most likely scenarios, corresponding to equivalent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios. This research prioritised aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, and T-2 and HT-2 toxin as potential human health hazards for adults and children compared to other mycotoxins under all scenarios. Relatively lower risks were found to be associated with mycophenolic acid, enniatins, and deoxynivalenol. Overall, the carry-over rate of mycotoxins, the milk consumption, and the concentration of mycotoxins in silage, maize, and wheat were found to be the most sensitive parameters (positively correlated) of this probabilistic model. Though climate change may impact mycotoxin prevalence and concentration in crops, the carry-over rate notably affects the final concentration of mycotoxin in milk to a greater extent. The results obtained in this study facilitate the identification of risk reduction measures to limit mycotoxin contamination of dairy products, considering potential climate change influences.

Global phylogenomic diversity of Brucella abortus: spread of a dominant lineage

Brucella abortus is a globally important zoonotic pathogen largely found in cattle hosts and is typically transmitted to humans through contaminated dairy products or contact with diseased animals. Despite the long, shared history of cattle and humans, little is known about how trade in cattle has spread this pathogen throughout the world. Whole genome sequencing provides unparalleled resolution to investigate the global evolutionary history of a bacterium such as B. abortus by providing phylogenetic resolution that has been unobtainable using other methods. We report on large-scale genome sequencing and analysis of B. abortus collected globally from cattle and 16 other hosts from 52 countries. We used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify genetic variation in 1,074 B. abortus genomes and using maximum parsimony generated a phylogeny that identified four major clades. Two of these clades, clade A (median date 972 CE; 95% HPD, 781–1142 CE) and clade B (median date 150 BCE; 95% HPD, 515 BCE–164 CE), were exceptionally diverse for this species and are exclusively of African origin where provenance is known. The third clade, clade C (median date 949 CE; 95% HPD, 766–1102 CE), had most isolates coming from a broad swath of the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, also had relatively high diversity. Finally, the fourth major clade, clade D (median date 1467 CE; 95% HPD, 1367–1553 CE) comprises the large majority of genomes in a dominant but relatively monomorphic group that predominantly infects cattle in Europe and the Americas. These data are consistent with an African origin for B. abortus and a subsequent spread to the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, probably through the movement of infected cattle. We hypothesize that European arrival to the Americas starting in the 15th century introduced B. abortus from Western Europe through the introduction of a few common cattle breeds infected with strains from clade D. These data provide the foundation of a comprehensive global phylogeny of this important zoonotic pathogen that should be an important resource in human and veterinary epidemiology.

A data-driven approach for prioritising microbial and chemical hazards associated with dairy products using open-source databases

This study presents a data-driven approach for classifying food safety alerts related to chemical and microbial contaminants in dairy products using the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) and the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS) food contaminants databases. This research aimed to prioritise microbial and chemical hazards based on their presence and severity through exploratory data analysis and to classify the severity of chemical hazards using machine learning (ML) approaches. It identified Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus cereus, Clostridium spp., and Cronobacter sakazakii as the microbial hazards of priority in dairy products. The study also prioritised the top ten chemical hazards based on their presence and severity. These hazards include nitrate, nitrite, ergocornine, 3-MCPD ester, lead, arsenic, ochratoxin A, cadmium, mercury, and aflatoxin (G1, B1, G2, B2, G5 and M1). Using ML techniques, the accuracy rate of classifying food safety alerts as either ‘serious' or ‘non-serious' was up to 98 %. Additionally, the study identified Reference dose (RfD), substance amount, notification type, product, and substance as the most important features affecting the ML models' performance. These ML models (decision trees, random forests, k-nearest neighbors, linear discriminant analysis, and support vector machines) were also validated on an external dataset of RASFF alerts related to chemical contaminants in dairy products. They achieved an accuracy of up to 95.1 %. The study's findings demonstrate the models' robustness and ability to classify food safety alerts related to chemical contaminants in dairy products, even on new data. These results can enhance the development of more effective machine-learning models for classifying food safety alerts related to chemical contaminants in dairy products, highlighting the importance of developing accurate and efficient classification models for timely intervention.

Characteristics and Management of Brucellosis-Related Spondylodiscitis: A Prospective Study

Introduction: Brucellosis-Related Spondylodiscitis (BSD) presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to nonspecific clinical signs, delayed appearance of radiological findings, and the lack of precise therapeutic consensus. Objective: This study aimed to determine the epidemiological, clinical, biological, radiological, therapeutic, and outcome characteristics of BSD. Patients and methods: A prospective study was conducted, including all patients hospitalized in the infectious diseases department between 2011 and 2020 with a confirmed diagnosis of BSD. Diagnosis was established based on a combination of clinical, biological, and radiological evidence. Result: The study comprised 41 cases. The mean age of patients was 52.2±15.7 years, with a male predominance (71%). Consumption of contaminated dairy products (90.2%) was the primary mode of transmission. The average time to consultation was 101.5±68 days. Febrile spinal pain was reported in all cases. Wright serology was positive in all cases. Brucella melitensis was isolated in 5 blood cultures (12.8%). The lumbar spine was the most commonly affected site (65.8%). Reported complications included paravertebral abscesses (61%), psoas abscesses (29.3%), epiduritis (61%), and spinal cord compression (14.6%). The most commonly used antibiotic combination was doxycycline-rifampicin-trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (39%). The mean treatment duration was 7.3±3.1 months. Favorable outcomes were observed in 63.1% of cases.

Antibacterial Activity of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum‎ from Dairy Products ‎Against Some ‎Foodborne Bacteria


 
 
 
 Lactiplantibacillus plantarum‎, one of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), is found in various foods, ‎‎including dairy products, meat, and vegetables, and most of these bacteria offer beneficial ‎‎effects to humans and animals as potential probiotics with broad-spectrum antimicrobial ‎‎activities. The aim of this study was evaluating the antibacterial efficacy of L. ‎plantarum‎ ‎against ‎some foodborne bacteria isolated from dairy products. This research involved 34 dairy ‎products, ‎including local and imported milk, cheese, and yogurt sold locally in Baghdad ‎province, Iraq, during May ‎‎2022. For the isolation of L. ‎plantarum‎, a special medium called ‎MRS (de Man Rogosa and ‎Sharpe) was applied. Colonies were purified and identified by routine ‎bacteriological methods, ‎Vitek2 system, and confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ‎targeting the ‎16S rRNA‎ ‎gene followed by the amplicon sequencing. Other aerobic bacteria ‎contaminating dairy products ‎were also isolated onto sterile selective media specific for each ‎microorganism, and the isolates ‎were identified by routine diagnostics tests followed by ‎verification with Vitek2 system. Then, ‎the culture supernatant of L. ‎plantarum‎ was tested for its ‎antagonistic activity toward foodborne ‎bacteria by the use of agar well diffusion assay. The ‎findings showed the isolation of 2 L. ‎plantarum‎‎, 3 Pseudomonas aeruginosa‎, 4 Escherichia coli, ‎one isolate of Bacillus subtilis, and ‎another Staphylococcus hominis. The filtered supernatant of ‎L. ‎plantarum‎ was significantly ‎efficient in inhibiting the growth of the above bacteria. Each of E. ‎coli and B. subtilis‎ revealed ‎zones of inhibition of 36 and 38 mm in diameter, respectively, ‎while P. aeruginosa‎ and S. ‎hominis had inhibition zones diameters of 27 and 29 mm, ‎respectively. This suggests that the L. ‎plantarum‎‎ supernatant possesses a broad-spectrum ‎activity against foodborne bacteria. To ‎conclude, locally made dairy products can hold different ‎contaminating bacteria, which can be ‎eliminated by using probiotics, such as L. ‎plantarum‎, to ‎avoid foodborne diseases onset‎.
 
 
 

Ecological Role of Widespread Bacteriocin Production among Bacillus cereus Contaminating Dairy Products and Characterization of Three Cereins

Ecological Role of Widespread Bacteriocin Production among Bacillus cereus Contaminating Dairy Products and Characterization of Three Cereins

Isolation, characterization, and application of lytic bacteriophages for controlling Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) in pasteurized milk and yogurt

Reducing bacterial pathogen contamination not only improves overall global public health but also diminishes food waste and loss. The use of lytic bacteriophages (phages) that infect and kill bacteria could be a beneficial tool for suppressing bacterial growth during dairy products storage time. Four Enterobacter cloacae (E. cloacae) complex isolates which were previously isolated from contaminated dairy products were used to identify lytic phages in wastewater. Phages specific to multi-drug resistant (MDR) E. cloacae complex 6AS1 were isolated from local sewage. Two novel phages vB_EclM-EP1 and vB_EclM-EP2 were identified as myoviral particles and have double-stranded DNA genome. Their host range and lytic capabilities were detected using spot test and efficiency of plating (EOP) against several bacterial isolates. The phages had a latent period of 30 min, and a large burst size of about 100 and 142 PFU/cell for vB_EclM-EP1 and vB_EclM-EP2, respectively. Both phages were viable at pH ranging 5–9 and stable at 70 °C for 60 min. The individual phages and their cocktail preparations (vB_EclM-EP1 and vB_EclM-EP2) reduced and inhibited the growth of E. cloacae complex 6AS1 during challenge test in milk and yogurt samples. These results indicate that the E. cloacae complex-specific phages (vB_EclM-EP1 and vB_EclM-EP2) have a potential application as microbicidal agents in packaged milk and milk derivatives during storage time. In addition, our environment is a rich sources of lytic phages which have potential use in eliminating multidrug-resistant isolates in food industry as well as in biocontrol.

Impact of the calcium concentration on the efficacy of phage phiIPLA-RODI, LysRODIΔAmi and nisin for the elimination of Staphylococcus aureus during lab-scale cheese production

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive human opportunistic pathogen that may also cause food poisoning because of the ability of some strains to produce heat stable enterotoxins that can persist in food even after the pathogen is successfully eliminated. In this context, biopreservation may be a forward-looking strategy to help eliminate staphylococcal contamination in dairy products by using natural compounds. However, these antimicrobials exhibit individual limitations that may be overcome by combining them. This work investigates the combination of a virulent bacteriophage, phiIPLA-RODI, a phage-derived engineered lytic protein, LysRODIΔAmi, and the bacteriocin nisin for the elimination of S. aureus during lab-scale cheese production at two CaCl2 concentrations (0.2 % and 0.02 %), and subsequent storage at two different temperatures (4 °C and 12 °C). In most of the assayed conditions, our results demonstrate that the combined action of the antimicrobials led to a greater reduction of the pathogen population than the compounds individually, albeit this effect was additive and not synergistic. However, our results did show synergy between the three antimicrobials for reducing the bacterial load after 14 days of storage at 12 °C, temperature at which there is growth of the S. aureus population. Additionally, we tested the impact of the calcium concentration on the activity of the combination treatment and observed that higher CaCl2 levels led to a notable increase in endolysin activity that allowed the utilization of approximately 10-times less protein to attain the same efficacy. Overall, our data show that the combination of LysRODIΔAmi with nisin and/or phage phiIPLA-RODI, and an increase in the calcium concentration are successful strategies to decrease the amount of protein required for the control of S. aureus contamination in the dairy sector with a low potential for resistance selection, thereby reducing costs.

Prevalence of brucellosis in Pakistan with reference to South Asia and Middle East: A comparative review

Brucellosis is a well-known zoonotic disease that causes serious health-related issues both in the humans and livestock population of the world. The prevalence of this disease has been increased significantly especially in developing and under-developed countries for the last few decades because of religious, socioeconomic, political and sanitary concerns. Lack of resources, local awareness, sufficient laboratory support, effective control strategies, and proper vaccination programs are yet other factors contributing to the spread of this disease. Because of high zoonotic potential Brucella species pose a significant threat to the human population involved in handling, rearing, and consumption of contaminated dairy products. The economy of many countries in the world mostly depends upon the rearing of the healthy and high-yielding livestock population. This disease causes notable economic losses in terms of low production, abortion followed by low fertility and repeat breeding. This review includes generalizing information regarding economic losses and public health issues caused by brucellosis in different countries of the world.

Estimates of disease burden caused by foodborne pathogens in contaminated dairy products in Rwanda

BackgroundThe Girinka program in Rwanda has contributed to an increase in milk production, as well as to reduced malnutrition and increased incomes. But dairy products can be hazardous to health, potentially transmitting diseases such as bovine brucellosis, tuberculosis, and cause diarrhea. We analyzed the burden of foodborne disease due to consumption of raw milk and other dairy products in Rwanda to support the development of policy options for the improvement of the quality and safety of milk.MethodsDisease burden data for five pathogens (Campylobacter spp., nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica, Cryptosporidium spp., Brucella spp., and Mycobacterium bovis) were extracted from the 2010 WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) database and merged with data of the proportion of foodborne disease attributable to consuming dairy products from FERG and a separately published Structured Expert Elicitation study to generate estimates of the uncertainty distributions of the disease burden by Monte Carlo simulation.ResultsAccording to WHO, the foodborne disease burden (all foods) of these five pathogens in Rwanda in 2010 was like or lower than in the Africa E subregion as defined by FERG. There were 57,500 illnesses occurring in Rwanda owing to consumption of dairy products, 55 deaths and 3,870 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) causing a cost-of-illness of $3.2 million. 44% of the burden (in DALYs) was attributed to drinking raw milk and sizeable proportions were also attributed to traditionally (16–23%) or industrially (6–22%) fermented milk. More recent data are not available, but the burden (in DALYs) of tuberculosis and diarrheal disease by all causes in Rwanda has declined between 2010 and 2019 by 33% and 46%, respectively.ConclusionThis is the first study examining the WHO estimates of the burden of foodborne disease on a national level in Rwanda. Transitioning from consuming raw to processed milk (fermented, heat treated or otherwise) may prevent a considerable disease burden and cost-of-illness, but the full benefits will only be achieved if there is a simultaneous improvement of pathogen inactivation during processing, and prevention of recontamination of processed products.