Immune-compromised People Research Articles

Manufacturing and Optimization the Nanofibres Tissue of Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) - Poly(e-caprolactone) Shell/Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-Amphotericin B Core for Controlled Drug Release System

Controlled release of drugs is important to reduce the amount of medication in treatment of any diseases and improves life quality. Poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) has a low biodegradation rate that is a disadvantage in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) is a water-soluble polymer that to overcome of PCL low biodegradation rate, electrospinning of PCL blended with PVP was used for shell of nanofibers with controllable degradation rates and drug release rates. Oral and vaginal mucosal infections mainly caused by candida albicans. It is usually a harmless commensal organism; however it is known as an opportunistic pathogen for almost immunologically week and immune compromised people. Amphotericin-B (AmB) is a strong polyene antifungal antibiotic that has a significantly efficacy on candida albicans. This study is manufactured and optimized the PVP-PCL shell/PVP-AmB core nanofiberous tissue by working distance and feed flow rate for controlled drug release. AmB with PVP was successfully inserted into the core. PVPPCL shell (50/50)/PVP-AmB core nanofiberous were electrospinning with two optimum distances working and two flow rates. The mechanical properties of coaxial nanofibers were analyzed by instron machine. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy was used for analysis morphology. Further, drug release test were done for coaxial nanofibers with AmB different morphologies. The effect of flow rate and working distance on morphology and mechanical properties were evaluated by statistical two-way analysis of the variance (ANOVA). The diameter averages of nanofibers were decreased significantly by increasing working distance. Moreover, the stress and strain were increased by increasing working distance. Coaxial nanofibers biodegradability rate and drug release of nanofibers were increased also by increasing working distance and flow rate of core. Nanofibers drug release mechanism was indicated by Korsmeyer-Peppas which they followed fick′s lows and Higuchi model significantly. Also, results presented that biodegradability and drug release rate accelerate with increasing the working distance and increasing the amount of PVP in core.

Generalized Growth of Estuarine, Household and Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen of particular concern to immune-compromised people, such as cystic fibrosis patients and burn victims. These bacteria grow in built environments including hospitals and households, and in natural environments such as rivers and estuaries. However, there is conflicting evidence whether recent environments like the human lung and open ocean affect P. aeruginosa growth performance in alternate environments. We hypothesized that bacteria recently isolated from dissimilar habitats should grow differently in media containing artificial versus natural resources. To test this idea, we examined growth of P. aeruginosa isolates from three environments (estuary, household, and clinic) in three media types: minimal-glucose lab medium, and media prepared from sugar maple leaves or big bluestem grass. We used automated spectrophotometry to measure high-resolution growth curves for all isolate by media combinations, and studied two fitness parameters: growth rate and maximum population density. Results showed high variability in growth rate among isolates, both overall and in its dependence on assay media, but this variability was not associated with habitat of isolation. In contrast, total growth (change in absorbance over the experiment) differed overall among habitats of isolation, and there were media-specific differences in mean total growth among habitats of isolation, and in among-habitat variability in the media-specific response. This was driven primarily by greater total growth of estuary isolates when compared with those from other habitats of origin, and greater media-specific variability among household isolates than those from other habitats of origin. Taken together, these results suggest that for growth rate P. aeruginosa bacteria appear to be broad generalists without regard to current or recent habitat, whereas for total growth a signature of recent ecological history can be detected.

Clostridium difficile and Probiotics

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is an opportunistic pathogen. It takes advantage of the aged, children and the immune-compromised people and has caused severe attacks that have led to several deaths in the UK and the USA. This is common with in-patients and could even be contracted through medical personnel. Multi-drug resistance by pathogenic microbes resulted in the prevalence C. diff. This review discovered that antibiotic resistance by patience could be traced to what we eat especially beef, milk, fish, and poultry products from animals that had earlier been placed on antibiotics. This review seeks an alternative since the antibiotic war on pathogens is failing to, rescue human race from this catastrophe. Probiotics is veritable replacement for antibiotics. Also, adequate and regular sanitisations of the hospital premises and more careful attention to personal hygiene by the personnel could be helpful in preventing its spread. Patients fed with probiotics showed better recovery and those that received more regular supplies of probiotics showed quicker recovery and improved health. Probiotics, therefore, is a panacea to the Clostridium difficle associated diseases (CDAD) insurgence.

Free-range and organic farming: Eggshell contamination by mesophilic bacteria and unusual pathogens

The high incidence of foodborne illnesses caused by the consumption of eggs in industrialized countries is the main reason we decided to determine the microbial load on the surface of eggshells from free-range and organic farming. The objective was to compare which was better for ensuring the least possible health risk to the consumers, focusing on consumption of raw eggs by immune-compromised people. Bacteria come from the intestine of the animal or subsequent contamination. When eggs are cracked, bacteria from the shell reach the yolk and the albumen, and grow during manipulation and preservation, causing foodborne diseases in consumers. Microorganisms such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, Enterobacteriaceae (including E. coli serotype O157: H7), Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, and mesophilic aerobic bacteria, were examined. The presence of bacteria on eggshells depends on hygienic conditions of the farming and packaging industries. Hygienic measures, such as strict cleaning and disinfection of surfaces in contact with eggs in packaging industries, would be a protective factor to minimize the contamination of eggshells. The total absence of pathogens demonstrates the relevance for human consumption of eggs coming from both free-range and organic farms, though YOPI (young, old, pregnant, or immune-compromised) people preferably should cook eggs in which bacteria contaminating the outer surface are killed.

Improvement of traditional processing of local monkey orange (Strychnos spp.) fruits to enhance nutrition security in Zimbabwe

Although the monkey orange (Strychnos spp.) tree fruit is widely distributed in Southern Africa and particularly in Zimbabwe, it is underutilized and little attention has been given to its potential commercialisation due to limited knowledge and information. Most of the fruits and their products are wasted because of limited harvest time, process control and storage conditions, leading to variability in shelf life and sensory quality, thereby impacting nutritional quality. Traditional processing techniques make insufficient use of this food resource within rural communities. This study aimed at identifying the existing bottlenecks by means of a survey among 102 smallholder farming respondents in the wet and dry regions of Zimbabwe. Results revealed that S. cocculoides and S. spinosa were used by 48% of respondents as a functional ingredient in porridge, by 25% in fermented mahewu drink and by 15% of respondents as a non-alcoholic juice. The fruits of S. innocua and S. madagascariensis are preferably processed into dried products. Taste, flavour and colour were the important quality characteristics for all processed products, and constraints to be solved are seed-flesh separation, long processing times, separation of juice and pulp during storage as well as pulp viscosity. Respondents reported monkey orange products to have health benefits for children and immune-compromised people, who, on regular consumption, have reportedly increased weight and resistance to disease. The positive perception about the processed products of Strychnos spp. offer a good opportunity to improve nutrition security by capitalizing on these not-yet-fully-exploited resources, but technological solutions to improve sensory quality and shelf life must be developed.

Use of molecular approaches in hydrogeological studies: the case of carbonate aquifers in southern Italy

Waterborne pathogens represent a significant health risk in both developed and developing countries with sensitive sub-populations including children, the elderly, neonates, and immune-compromised people, who are particularly susceptible to enteric infections. Annually, approximately 1.8 billion people utilize a faecally contaminated water source, and waterborne diseases are resulting in up to 2.1 million human mortalities globally. Although groundwater has traditionally been considered less susceptible to contamination by enteric pathogens than surface water due to natural attenuation by overlying strata, the degree of microbial removal attributable to soils and aquifers can vary significantly depending on several factors. Thus, accurate assessment of the variable presence and concentration of microbial contaminants, and the relative importance of potentially causative factors affecting contaminant ingress, is critical in order to develop effective source (well) and resource (aquifer) protection strategies. “Traditional” and molecular microbiological study designs, when coupled with hydrogeological, hydrochemical, isotopic, and geophysical methods, have proven useful for analysis of numerous aspects of subsurface microbial dynamics. Accordingly, this overview paper presents the principal microbial techniques currently being employed (1) to predict and identify sources of faecal contamination in groundwater, (2) to elucidate the dynamics of contaminant migration, and (3) to refine knowledge about the hydrogeological characteristics and behaviours of aquifer systems affected by microbial contamination with an emphasis on carbonate aquifers, which represent an important global water supply. Previous investigations carried out in carbonate aquifers in southern Italy are discussed.

Toxoplasma gondii infections among pregnant women, children and HIV-seropositive persons in Accra, Ghana.

BackgroundToxoplasma gondii infection can lead to severe disease outcomes in immune-compromised people. This study sought to determine the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies among pregnant women, hospitalized children (<5 years old) and HIV-seropositive persons in Accra.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in two hospitals in Accra, and a total of 450 voluntary participants were recruited for the study consisting of 125 pregnant women, 200 children and 125 HIV-seropositive persons. Serum was obtained from venous blood safely drawn from each participant and tested for specific anti-Toxoplasma antibodies IgG and IgM by ELISA. A serological criterion for seropositivity was a positive test result for any of the two anti-Toxoplasma antibodies or a combination of both. Questionnaire interviews were conducted to obtain personal information and Toxoplasma infection risk-related data.ResultsThose who tested seropositive for anti-T. gondii antibodies were 51.2 % (64/125) pregnant women, 58.0 % (116/200) children and 57.6 % (72/125) HIV patients. The major risk factors associated with anti-T. gondii seropositivity were identified as age (in children), handling raw meat and gravida status (in pregnant women). The results of this study confirmed that the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection is high among pregnant women, hospitalized children <5 years old and HIV patients.ConclusionsA further study to investigate pre-pregnancy infections with T. gondii among women of childbearing age, seroconversion rate in pregnant women, rate of mother-to-child transmission and reactivated infections among HIV-seropositive persons is recommended.

Bacterial characterization of Beijing drinking water by flow cytometry and MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.

Flow cytometry (FCM) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing data are commonly used to monitor and characterize microbial differences in drinking water distribution systems. In this study, to assess microbial differences in drinking water distribution systems, 12 water samples from different sources water (groundwater, GW; surface water, SW) were analyzed by FCM, heterotrophic plate count (HPC), and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. FCM intact cell concentrations varied from 2.2×10(3) cells/mL to 1.6×10(4) cells/mL in the network. Characteristics of each water sample were also observed by FCM fluorescence fingerprint analysis. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that Proteobacteria (76.9-42.3%) or Cyanobacteria (42.0-3.1%) was most abundant among samples. Proteobacteria were abundant in samples containing chlorine, indicating resistance to disinfection. Interestingly, Mycobacterium, Corynebacterium, and Pseudomonas, were detected in drinking water distribution systems. There was no evidence that these microorganisms represented a health concern through water consumption by the general population. However, they provided a health risk for special crowd, such as the elderly or infants, patients with burns and immune-compromised people exposed by drinking. The combined use of FCM to detect total bacteria concentrations and sequencing to determine the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria resulted in the quantitative evaluation of drinking water distribution systems. Knowledge regarding the concentration of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria will be particularly useful for epidemiological studies.

Monitoring the water quality through molecular techniques.

Monitoring the water quality through molecular techniques.

Antifungal Activity of Helicteres isora Linn. Fruit Extracts Against Planktonic and Biofilm Growth of Candida albicans

A large population of immune compromised people is susceptible to opportunistic mycoses. Infections caused by Candida species, particularly Candida albicans, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among the patients. Biofilm related infections of C. albicans pose a challenge to successful antifungal treatment because of their resistance to available drugs. Plants and plant derived products represent a rich platform for the discovery of pharmaceutically important molecules. The study evaluated activity of methanol and petroleum ether extracts of fruits of Helicteres isora Linn. against planktonic and biofilm growth of Candida albicans. Methanol extract of H. isora L. (MEHI) showed complete prevention of planktonic growth at 2 mg/ml, while petroleum ether extract (PEEHI) had no effect up to 4 mg/ml concentration. Decrease in biofilm formation was analyzed in presence of 1 mg/ml MEHI, and 2 mg/ml concentration of it prevented biofilm formation significantly (p< 0.05). In comparison, PEEHI exhibited negligible activity against biofilm. Results demonstrate anti-biofilm activity of methanol extract of H. isora L. fruit, in C. albicans.

Neoehrlichiosis: an emerging tick-borne zoonosis caused by Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis.

Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis is an emerging tick-borne pathogen causing a systemic inflammatory syndrome mostly in persons with underlying hematologic or autoimmune diseases. As it is neither well-known nor well-recognized, it might be misdiagnosed as recurrence of the underlying disease or as an unrelated arteriosclerotic vascular event. The pathogen is transmitted by hard ticks of the genus Ixodes and is closely associated with rodents in which transplacental transmission occurs. Transovarial transmission in ticks has not yet been shown. Infection rates vary greatly in ticks and rodents, but the causes for its spatiotemporal variations are largely unknown. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the geographical distribution and clinical importance of Ca. N. mikurensis. By elucidating the life history traits of this pathogen and determining more accurately its incidence in the human population, a better assessment of its public health relevance can be made. Most urgent research needs are the in vitro-cultivation of the pathogen, the development of specific serological tests, the determination of the full genomic sequence, the routine implementation of molecular diagnosis in diseased patients with a particular panel of underlying diseases, and promoting the knowledge about neoehrlichiosis among general practitioners, hospital physicians and the risk groups such as forest workers or immune-compromised people to raise awareness about this disease that can easily be treated when correctly diagnosed.

Healthy Baby, Healthy Me food safety curriculum.

Pregnant women are at increased risk for developing certain types of foodborne illness due to hormonal changes necessary during pregnancy to promote the survival of the fetus. Pathogens of special concern to pregnant women and their fetuses include Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii, Salmonella species, and Campylobacter jejuni. 1 Kendall P. Medeiros L. Hillers V. Chen G. DiMascola S. Food handling behaviors of special importance for pregnant women, infants and young children, the elderly, and immune-compromised people. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003; 103: 1646-1649 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (73) Google Scholar , 2 Smith J.L. Campylobacter jejuni infection during pregnancy: long-term consequences of associated bacteremia, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and reactive arthritis. J Food Prot. 2002; 65: 696-708 PubMed Google Scholar Nutrition education curricula for pregnant women typically focus on basic food safety concepts, which may not address the pathogen-specific information pregnant women need to understand why they are at higher risk for certain foodborne illnesses, potential health risks to their fetus, and what foods and/or food preparation styles they should avoid to protect themselves and their unborn child. 3 Athearn P.N. Kendall P.A. Hillers V.N. et al. Awareness and acceptance of current food safety recommendations during pregnancy. Matern Child Health J. 2004; 8: 149-162 Crossref PubMed Scopus (58) Google Scholar

Candida albicans secreted aspartic proteases 4-6 induce apoptosis of epithelial cells by a novel Trojan horse mechanism.

Systemic infection by the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans produces high mortality in immune-compromised people. Such infection starts with the penetration of the organism at the mucosal surfaces, facilitated by the secreted aspartic proteases (Saps) 4, 5, and 6. The functional mechanism of these virulence factors is unclear. We discovered that Saps 4-6 each contains amino acid motifs RGD/KGD to bind integrins on epithelial cell A549 and are internalized to endosomes and lysosomes. These processes are inhibited by RGD-containing peptides or by substituting RGD motifs of these Saps. The internalization of Saps 4-6 results in partial permeabilization of lysosomal membranes, measured by the redistribution of the lysosomal tropic dye acridine orange to the cytosol, and the triggering of apoptosis via caspase activation. Sap 2 and mutated Saps 4-6 contain no RGD motif, are ineffective in these processes, and a proteolytic inhibitor abolished Sap 4 activity in lysosome permeabilization. Same results were also seen for human tongue keratinocyte SCC-15 cells. Mucosal lesions from this fundamental new mechanism may permit C. albicans to enter the body and may be used to attack cells in immune defense during systemic infections. RGD-motif may also be incorporated in Sap inhibitors for Candidiasis drugs targeting to lysosomes.

Salicylanilide Inhibitors of Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an apicomplexan parasite that can cause eye disease, brain disease, and death, especially in congenitally infected and immune-compromised people. Novel medicines effective against both active and latent forms of the parasite are greatly needed. The current study focused on the discovery of such medicines by exploring a family of potential inhibitors whose antiapicomplexan activity has not been previously reported. Initial screening efforts revealed that niclosamide, a drug approved for anthelmintic use, possessed promising activity in vitro against T. gondii. This observation inspired the evaluation of the activity of a series of salicylanilides and derivatives. Several inhibitors with activities in the nanomolar range with no appreciable in vitro toxicity to human cells were identified. An initial structure-activity relationship was explored. Four compounds were selected for evaluation in an in vivo model of infection, and two derivatives with potentially enhanced pharmacological parameters demonstrated the best activity profiles.

The Skp1 Protein from Toxoplasma Is Modified by a Cytoplasmic Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase Associated with Oxygen Sensing in the Social Amoeba Dictyostelium

In diverse types of organisms, cellular hypoxic responses are mediated by prolyl 4-hydroxylases that use O(2) and α-ketoglutarate as substrates to hydroxylate conserved proline residues in target proteins. Whereas in metazoans these enzymes control the stability of the HIFα family of transcription factor subunits, the Dictyostelium enzyme (DdPhyA) contributes to O(2) regulation of development by a divergent mechanism involving hydroxylation and subsequent glycosylation of DdSkp1, an adaptor subunit in E3(SCF) ubiquitin ligases. Sequences related to DdPhyA, DdSkp1, and the glycosyltransferases that cap Skp1 hydroxyproline occur also in the genomes of Toxoplasma and other protists, suggesting that this O(2) sensing mechanism may be widespread. Here we show by disruption of the TgphyA locus that this enzyme is required for Skp1 glycosylation in Toxoplasma and that disrupted parasites grow slowly at physiological O(2) levels. Conservation of cellular function was tested by expression of TgPhyA in DdphyA-null cells. Simple gene replacement did not rescue Skp1 glycosylation, whereas overexpression not only corrected Skp1 modification but also restored the O(2) requirement to a level comparable to that of overexpressed DdPhyA. Bacterially expressed TgPhyA protein can prolyl hydroxylate both Toxoplasma and Dictyostelium Skp1s. Kinetic analyses showed that TgPhyA has similar properties to DdPhyA, including a superimposable dependence on the concentration of its co-substrate α-ketoglutarate. Remarkably, however, TgPhyA had a significantly higher apparent affinity for O(2). The findings suggest that Skp1 hydroxylation by PhyA is a conserved process among protists and that this biochemical pathway may indirectly sense O(2) by detecting the levels of O(2)-regulated metabolites such as α-ketoglutarate.

Understanding pathophysiologic mechanisms in severe sepsis using an ensemble of neutrophil kinetic based systemic inflammation model

Objectives: Disease management is becoming increasingly important in our current society, especially considering the growing population of older and immune compromised people. The development of early warning monitors for sepsis/inflammation could be a valuable tool for supporting the clinical care of critically ill patients. Several complex biological processes are involved in sepsis and inflammation, making it a challenging task to quantify infection and inflammation processes in real time. This study aimed at exploring the usefulness of data-based modeling methods to quantify the dynamics of biomarkers (3 cytokines and 4 acute-phase proteins) before and after infection by Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia in pigs as a first step in developing an early warning monitor for sepsis and inflammation processes in the intensive care. Methods: In total, 22 pigs were infected. Blood samples were taken, with a sampling interval of 2 hours. The cytokines, tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), and the acute-phase proteins, C-reactive protein, haptoglobin, major acute-phase protein, and serum-amyloid A were analyzed resulting in 7 blood biomarker time series for every pig. To obtain detailed descriptions of the response characteristics to infection, dynamic models were calculated for all biomarkers. Results: Based on the first analysis, 4 biomarkers, namely, Creactive protein, serum-amyloid A, pig–major acute-phase protein, and IL-6, were selected as being most useful for the monitoring. Especially, the response characteristics of IL-6 seem most promising. Significant differences in the dynamics of IL-6 were found between surviving and nonsurviving animals after infection (P = .009). For all biomarkers, model orders and model structures varied between the individual pigs, and thus, the model parameters seemed to be linked with the pigs as individuals stressing the need for individualized monitoring systems. Conclusions: Models as developed in our study could be the first steps toward the development of an objective individualized method for a sensor-based early detection of sepsis and inflammation and early prediction of disease outcome in pigs and later in humans.

Encephalitozoon cuniculi: Infecting the rabbit next door

Encephalitozoon cuniculi is an intracellular protozoan parasite of the Microsporidia genus. Although it can infect a number of species of animal, including immune-compromised people, it is primarily a pathogen of rabbits. Relatively little was known about the parasite for many years but increasing numbers of studies in the past decade have revealed much about its prevalence and treatment and increasingly shown it to be a common infection of domestic rather than wild rabbits. Please note: Wiley-Blackwell are not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing material) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

Contribution of TAT system translocated PhoX to Campylobacter jejuni phosphate metabolism and resilience to environmental stresses.

Campylobacter jejuni is a common gastrointestinal pathogen that colonizes food animals; it is transmitted via fecal contamination of food, and infections in immune-compromised people are more likely to result in serious long-term illness. Environmental phosphate is likely an important sensor of environmental fitness and the ability to obtain extracellular phosphate is central to the bacteria's core metabolic responses. PhoX is the sole alkaline phosphatase in C. jejuni, a substrate of the TAT transport system. Alkaline phosphatases mediate the hydrolytic removal of inorganic phosphate (Pi) from phospho-organic compounds and thereby contribute significantly to the polyphosphate kinase 1 (ppk1) mediated formation of poly P, a molecule that regulates bacterial response to stresses and virulence. Similarly, deletion of the tatC gene, a key component of the TAT system, results in diverse phenotypes in C. jejuni including reduced stress tolerance and in vivo colonization. Therefore, here we investigated the contribution of phoX in poly P synthesis and in TAT-system mediated responses. The phoX deletion mutant showed significant decrease (P<0.05) in poly P accumulation in stationary phase compared to the wild-type, suggesting that PhoX is a major contributor to the inorganic phosphate pool in the cell which is essential for poly P synthesis. The phoX deletion is sufficient for a nutrient stress defect similar to the defect previously described for the ΔtatC mutant. Additionally, the phoX deletion mutant has increased resistance to certain antimicrobials. The ΔphoX mutant was also moderately defective in invasion and intracellular survival within human intestinal epithelial cells as well as in chicken colonization. Further, the ΔphoX mutant produced increased biofilm that can be rescued with 1 mM inorganic phosphate. The qRT-PCR of the ΔphoX mutant revealed transcriptional changes that suggest potential mechanisms for the increased biofilm phenotype.

Bacterial Communities in Aerosols and Manure Samples from Two Different Dairies in Central and Sonoma Valleys of California

Aerosols have been suspected to transport food pathogens and contaminate fruits and vegetables grown in close proximity to concentrated animal feeding operations, but studies are lacking that substantiate such transport. To monitor the potential transport of bacteria originated from fresh or dry manure through aerosols on a dairy, we identified by 16S rRNA sequencing, bacteria in aerosols collected within 2 to 3 meters from dairy cows at two dairies. Gram-positive Firmicutes were predominant in aerosols from a dairy in Sonoma, California, and surrounded by vineyards, in contrast to sequences of Gram-negative Proteobacteria predominant in aerosols from a dairy in Modesto, California, also surrounded by other dairies. Although Firmicutes represented approximately 50% of the 10 most abundant sequences, aerosols from the Sonoma dairy also contained sequences of Bacteriodetes and Actinobacteria, identified previously with animal feces. While none of the top 10 sequences from fresh or dry manure from Modesto dairy were detected in aerosols, two of the sequences from the phylum Bacteriodetes and one from class Clostridia from fresh manure were detected in aerosols from Sonoma. Interestingly, none of the sequences from dry manure were in the top 10 sequences in aerosols from both dairies. The 10 most abundant sequences in aerosols from the Modesto dairy were all from Proteobacteria and nearly half of them were from genus Massilia, which have been isolated previously from immune-compromised people and aerosols. We conclude that the predominant bacteria in aerosols are diverse among locations and that they do not reflect the predominant species of bacteria present in cow feces and/or in close proximity to cows. These results suggest that the aerosol sequences did not originate from manure. Large volumes of aerosols would be required to determine if bacterial sequences from aerosols could be used to track bacteria in manure to crops grown in proximity.

Food safety: Emerging trends in foodborne illness surveillance and prevention

Between 250 and 350 million Americans are estimated to suffer acute gastroenteritis annually, with 25% to 30% thought to be caused by foodborne illnesses. Most vulnerable to foodborne diseases are elderly people, pregnant women, immune-compromised people, and children. While bacterial causes such as Salmonella are widely recognized and monitored as foodborne infections, other important bacterial causes such as Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus are less well known. While the majority of cases of foodborne diseases are of unknown cause, bacteria and viruses are the most likely causative agents. Caliciviridae (Norwalk-like) virus cases are more difficult to identify, but represent the most common cause of known and probably unknown cases. Fresh produce has to be added to the traditional list of foods requiring careful selection and handling to prevent foodborne disease. To assess the disease burden in the United States, morbidity and mortality surveillance activities are done by several networks and systems with collaboration among federal agencies and health departments. Not all important causes are being equally monitored. Critical behaviors by food processors, food retailers, foodservice personnel, and consumers can reduce the risk of foodborne illness episodes. Dietetics professionals can more readily monitor new developments and update knowledge and practice through online resources.