Raw Red Meat Research Articles

BIOACTIVE PEPTIDES IN RED MEATS, BYPRODUCTS AND RESIDUES FROM THE MEAT INDUSTRY

O Objective: To provide a comprehensive overview of the generation of bioactive peptides from raw red meat, its by-products, and the waste meat cuts, as well as the bioactive health effects. Design/methodology/approach: A literature search was conducted through the organization and systematized analysis of information for an updated literature review of bioactive peptides in red meat. Results: Meat is a food of great nutritional value for human beings, since the digestibility of its protein stands out. In addition to the nutritional value of this protein, there are some studies in meat where bioactive peptides provide bioactivity mainly as an antihypertensive and antioxidant. Bioactive peptides are generally obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis and through microbial fermentation processes. Subsequently, they are identified by analytical techniques to perform in vitro and in vivo evaluations verifying the bioactivity of the peptides obtained. Limitations on study/implications: The food industry must establish the most reliable methods for generating more reliable peptides to standardize their production and avoid process variability. Findings/conclusions: The bioactive activity to be exerted by the peptides will depend on factors specific to the protein, such as the number of amino acids it contains, the hydrophilic or hydrophobic profile, and size, among others. This information is key to predict the activity the peptide can exert in the human body since many can have multiple activities, the most common being the antioxidant-antihypertensive function.

Study on Ectoparasites of Free-Ranging Domestic Cats (Felidae; Felis catus) and Introducing Trichodectes canis as a New Record Louse in Tehran Urban Parks, Iran

Free-ranging domestic cats (Felidae, Felis catus) can potentially play host to some life-threatening zoonotic pathogens including ectoparasites such as fleas, ticks, and lice. These ectoparasites are capable of transmitting zoonotic disease. Cats (Felis catus) were captured using baited cage traps with raw red meat from five parks in central areas of Tehran, Iran, in the summer of 2018. The collected cats were moved to the laboratory, and their ectoparasites were removed from their skin by forceps and combing for five minutes for each cat. Ectoparasites were stored in 70% ethanol and later mounted for identification of species, using species identification keys. Forty-one cats were collected from these study areas. Among all captured cats, 26 specimens (63.41%) were infected with 83 ectoparasites and the average infection rate was 3.19 in cats. Six arthropod species were identified, including four fleas (89.16%), one louse (8.43%), and one tick (2.41%). The four flea species included Ctenocephalides canis (39.76%), Ctenocephalides felis (18.07%), Xenopsylla nubica (16.87%), and Pulex irritans (14.46%). The one louse species was Trichodectes canis (8.43%), and the one tick species recovered was identified as Hyalomma spp. (2.41%). Based on the findings, Ctenocephalides canis was the most common ectoparasite species (39.76%). Fleas were the most prevalent ectoparasites on Felis catus cats, with the highest prevalence, observed for Ctenocephalides canis. Due to the large and growing population of cats and the high risk of transmission of common diseases between humans and cats, as well as the high contact and communication of people with cats, we were encouraged to study the ectoparasites of cats in five important parks in the city of Tehran.

Prevalence, antibiotic resistance, and enterotoxin production of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from retail raw beef, sheep, and lamb meat in Turkey

The main objective of this study was to isolate and identify Staphylococcus aureus from retail raw red meat samples and evaluate their enterotoxin gene and antibiotic resistance profiles. A total of 452 retail raw meat samples, including beef (n = 200), sheep (n = 125), and lamb (n = 127) randomly purchased from various supermarkets and butchers in Ankara between July 2019 and November 2020, were tested for the prevalence of S. aureus. The S. aureus strain was identified using morphological and molecular (16S rRNA and nuc gene) methods. Moreover, nine Staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes were screened using polymerase chain reaction. Antibiotic resistance of S. aureus was determined using the phenotypic disc diffusion method. The overall prevalence of S. aureus among screened samples was 21.23%. Additionally, 65.62% of S. aureus strains contained SE gene regions. The predominant SEs in the S. aureus strains were sea (50.79%), followed by sed (25.39%) and seb (23.80%). However, sec, see, seg, seh, sei, and sej genes were never detected. A substantial proportion (40–100%) of the isolates were found resistant to kanamycin, telithromycin, penicillin G, streptomycin, erythromycin, cloxacillin, ampicillin, pristinamycin, nalidixic acid, azithromycin, and ciprofloxacin. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was observed in 96.87% of the S. aureus strains. These results show a low prevalence of S. aureus in raw red meat samples in Turkey. However, a high rate of SEA raises serious health concerns. Due to the high levels of MDR observed in this study, there is a need to strictly control antibiotic use in animals in Turkey.

A nanofiber application for thiamine stability and enhancement of bioaccessibility of raw, cooked salmon and red meat samples stored at 4 °C

Nanofibers were fabricated by using the electrospinning technique. The diameter of gelatin nanofibers was measured as 41.511 nm. When thiamine was integrated into the nanofibers, it was increased to 100.156 nm. After raw red meat and salmon samples were coated with the nanofibers, the samples were stored at cold storage conditions. The thiamine levels of raw uncoated red meat (RM, 400 to 379 µg/100 g: p < 0.05) and salmon meat (SM, 68 to 62 µg/100 g: p < 0.05) were decreased. The coating increased thiamine contents in raw (519 to 563 µg/100 g) and cooked (416 to 485 µg/100 g) RM samples. Thiamine contents of raw (75 to 78 µg/100 g) and cooked (67 to 75 µg/100 g) SM samples were increased (p < 0.05). The changes in the bioaccessibility of uncoated and coated RM samples were in the range of 85–76%, and 87–79%, respectively while salmon samples were increased from 79 to 94% (p < 0.05).

Prevalence of Hypertension and Associated Risk Factors Among Women in a Rural Community in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to identify the prevalence and associated risk factors of hypertension among rural women. Data collection was carried out between March to June 2019 among 380 women in Kumarkhali Upazila, Kushtia, Bangladesh. Participants were interviewed with a structured questionnaire including background characteristics, anthropometric measurements, prevalence, and risk factors of hypertension. IBM SPSS version 25 was used for analyzing the data. The prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension among the total participants was 21.3% and 17.1%, respectively. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 126.65 (±19.31) mmHg and 77.21 (±12.51) mmHg. Association was found between the prevalence of hypertension and participant’s age, marital status, educational level, body mass index, intake of raw salt, secondary smoking, stress, and diabetes (p&lt;0.05). Among the diabetic women, prehypertension and hypertension prevailed as 26.3% and 55.3% respectively. The lowest risk of hypertension was found with limited raw salt (aOR: 1.42) and red meat (aOR: 0.05) consumption. Hypertension was more likely to affect overweight (aOR: 3.98) and women aged 55 to 64 years (aOR: 13.44). Thus, effective and integrated intervention agendas are required for women, which can improve the rate of diagnosis and prevent uncontrolled hypertension in Bangladesh. Keywords: Prevalence, hypertension, women, blood pressure, risk factor, Bangladesh

Isolation and Molecular Identification of some Food Borne Pathogens from Raw and Processed Meats: In vitro Synergistic Probability of Lactobacillus CFS and Antibiotic

MICROBIAL food safety is an important health concern; isolation of food-borne pathogens from available meat products is a bad indicator of poor hygienic practices. A Total of 200 samples of meats comprise beef burger, sausage, raw chicken and raw red meat (50 of each) were examined for hygienic quality by detecting the presence of potential bacterial food-borne pathogens. The highest frequency was recorded for E. coli (48.25%) and Salmonella sp. (26.25%) for the different meat samples, at the same time chicken meat was the most contaminated type. Isolates were identified by conventional bacteriological methods and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction using specific 16S rRNA primer pairs. B. cereus was identified by targeting the presence of enterotoxin nhe A and B genes. Checking for the presence of shiga-toxin gene in E. coli O517 showed positive result. All confirmed isolates were tested for multidrug resistance characterization and found to be highly resistant to almost of the studied antibiotics. The most resistant strain was B. cereus (75%) and the less efficient antibiotics were ampicillin and Sulfamethaxole/trimethoprim. Lactobacillus acidophilus cell free supernatant (CFS) showed efficient activity to inhibit the growth of all resistant isolates. Synergistic activity was detected when both agents (ampicillin & CFR) were used in combination against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.

Primary evaluation of nine volatile N-nitrosamines in raw red meat from Tianjin, China, by HS-SPME-GC–MS

Monitoring of N-nitrosamines in red meats is vital for food safety. The aim of this paper is to describe the effect of tissue selection, species and seasonal variation on the contents of nine N-nitrosamines in raw red meats obtained from Tianjin, China. Headspace solid-phase microextraction along with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used for the determination of nine N-nitrosamines in the collected samples. Radar chart visualization is applied to describe the data. The results show HS-SPME–GC–MS is a simple, sensitive, precise and accurate method. The concentrations of N-nitrosodipropylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine and N-nitrosomethylethylamine were high in almost all investigated samples and the levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine in all samples were less than 3.00 μg/kg. The risk assessment for N-nitrosodimethylamine indicates that the potential risks posed by N-nitrosodimethylamine in raw red meats ingested by people in Tianjin, China are negligible.

Did the ban on serving raw beef liver in restaurants decrease Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection in Japan?: an interrupted time-series analysis

BackgroundEnterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is an important pathogen that causes diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). After an EHEC outbreak involving uncooked beef, serving raw beef liver dishes at restaurants was completely banned starting on July 1, 2012 in Japan. However, its long-term associations with the incidence rates of EHEC infections have never been assessed by formal interrupted time-series analysis (ITSA).MethodsA retrospective cohort study to assess the impact of banning raw beef liver provision at restaurants was conducted. The weekly incidence of asymptomatic and symptomatic EHEC infections, the incidence of HUS, and deaths were extracted from the national reportable diseases database from January 2008 to December 2017. ITSA was conducted to evaluate the impact of banning raw beef liver from July 2012. To account for a potential simultaneous external effect, the additional regulation on raw beef red meat handling (implemented in May 2011) and the seasonality were also incorporated into the model.ResultsThere were 32,179 asymptomatic and 21,250 symptomatic EHEC infections (including 717 HUS cases and 26 deaths) reported during the study period. During the pre-intervention period (before week 27, 2012), there were 0.45 asymptomatic EHEC infections per million-persons per week. The mean post-intervention asymptomatic EHEC infections were 0.51 per million-persons per week. ITSA revealed no baseline trend or change in the intercept and trend (0.002 infections per million-persons per week, 95% Confidence interval − 0.03-0.04, p = 0.93, 1.22, CI -1.96-4.39, p = 0.45, and − 0.006, CI -0.003-0.02, p = 0.68, respectively). For symptomatic EHEC infections, there were 0.30 cases per million per week during the pre-intervention period, and it became 0.33 cases per million per week after the intervention. Time series modeling again did not show a significant baseline trend or changes in the intercept and trend (0.0005, CI -0.02-0.02, p = 0.96, 0.69, CI -1.75-3.12, p = 0.58, and − 0.003, CI -0.02-0.01, p = 0.76, respectively).ConclusionWe did not find a statistically significant reduction in the overall incidence rates of both asymptomatic and symptomatic EHEC infections in Japan after implementing measures, including a ban on serving raw beef liver dishes in the restaurant industry.

Knowledge, attitudes and eating habits red and processed meat among gym users: a cross-sectional survey.

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified red meat (RM) and processed meat (PM) intakes as 'probably carcinogenic' and 'carcinogenic' to humans, respectively. The aim of the study was to evaluate eating behaviours and knowledge on the potential risks of RM-PM consumption among gym users. In 2018, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in 20 gyms in Turin using a 48-item questionnaire assessing sociodemographic, sports, dietary information and knowledge about RM-PM (sample size = 298). Multivariable logistic and linear regressions were performed. The significance level was p ⩽ 0.05. Around 75% of the sample consumed RM and PM at least once a week, with an average of 240.55 ± 435.99 g and 106.50 ± 157.88 g consumed weekly, respectively. Only 7.69% exceeded 700 g of raw RM weekly. Females, those with higher education, those who practise sport outside gyms and those who declared to practise sport to stay healthy, declared to consume less RM. Those who practise sport at a competitive level, those who are on a diet for athletic needs, those with higher body mass index (BMI) and those who consume more eggs and alcohol had a higher RM intake. The association with PM consumption was negative for females and positive for those living without a partner. The likelihood of answering incorrectly to one of the knowledge outcomes was lower for those who had a healthcare-related background and declared to practise sport to stay healthy, while it was higher for participants who stated to have a sport-related background, to be on a diet to lose weight, to read rarely/never the RM-PM nutrition labels and to consume <400 g of fruit and vegetables daily. Given the relatively low knowledge of the potential risks of RM-PM consumption, it would be advisable to implement campaigns specifically focused on male athletes and people with lower socioeconomic status, in order to raise awareness about this topic.

Addition of plant dietary fibre to a raw red meat high protein, high fat diet, alters the faecal bacteriome and organic acid profiles of the domestic cat (Felis catus).

Commercial diets high in animal protein and fat are increasingly being developed for pets, however little is understood about the impacts of feeding such diets to domestic cats. The carbohydrate content of these diets is typically low, and dietary fibre is often not included. Dietary fibre is believed to be important in the feline gastrointestinal tract, promoting stool formation and providing a substrate for the hindgut microbiome. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effects of adding plant-based dietary fibre to a high animal protein and fat diet. Twelve domestic short hair cats were fed three complete and balanced diets in a cross-over design for blocks of 21 days: raw meat (Raw), raw meat plus fibre (2%, ‘as is’ inclusion of inulin and cellulose; Raw+Fibre) and a commercially available Kibble diet. A commercially available canned diet was fed for 21 days as a washout phase. Apparent macronutrient digestibility, faecal output, score, pH, organic acid concentrations and bacteriome profiles were determined. Diet significantly affected all faecal parameters measured. The addition of dietary fibre to the raw meat diet was found to reduce apparent macronutrient digestibility, increase faecal output, pH and score. Thirty one bacterial taxa were significantly affected by diet. Prevotella was found to dominate in the Kibble diet, Clostridium and Fusobacterium in the Raw diet, and Prevotella and a group of unclassified Peptostreptococcaceae in the Raw+Fibre diet. Our results show that diets of different macronutrient proportions can strongly influence the faecal microbiome composition and metabolism, as shown by altered organic acid concentrations and faecal pH, in the domestic cat. The addition of 2% of each fibre to the Raw diet shifted faecal parameters closer to those produced by feeding a Kibble diet. These results provide a basis for further research assessing raw red meat diets to domestic cats.

Effect of kibble and raw meat diets on peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression profile in dogs

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) gene expression microarray profiling is a minimally invasive tool used in human diet intervention studies. In this study, PBMC gene expression was determined in dogs fed kibble or raw red meat diets for 9 weeks to test the hypothesis that diet influences canine immune cell gene expression profiles. The two diets were associated with differences in PBMC gene expression profiles, which corresponded with changes in plasma IgA concentrations. Analysis of PBMC gene expression profiles might provide useful insights into the long term effects of diet on health outcomes in dogs.

Screening and Detecting Salmonella in Different Food Matrices in Southern Tunisia Using a Combined Enrichment/Real-Time PCR Method: Correlation with Conventional Culture Method.

A combined enrichment/ newly developed invA TaqMan® real-time PCR (qPCR) method as a screening assay to detect Salmonella spp. in 500 naturally food matrices is evaluated. DNA template for qPCR was extracted from an overnight pre-enriched sample in buffered peptone water using lysis–guanidine isothiocyanate method. Heterologous internal amplification control (IAC) was incorporated during qPCR assays and co-amplified with the invA gene of the target pathogen. InvA qPCR exhibited 100% specificity when testing 94 Salmonella strains (inclusivity) and 32 non-Salmonella strains (exclusivity). The qPCR showed a consistent detection of two copies of the invA gene/PCR reaction, a good intra- and inter-run reproducibility with a good PCR efficiency (89.6%). QPCR was sensitive and showed Salmonella detection at 8.5 × 100 CFU mL-1 of artificially spiked poultry meat -BWP solution in less than 40 cycles. When analyzing 500 different food matrices and comparing the results with the ISO 6579:2002 conventional culture method, the sensitivity and specificity were 100 and 76.6%, respectively. QPCR showed Salmonella spp. DNA in raw poultry meat 27/45 (60%), milk 31/93 (33.3%), raw red meat 5/13 (38.5%), and fish 11/46 (23.9%) samples. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. in cakes, dairy, cooked meals, charcuterie products using qPCR was 11/14 (26.8%), 5/22 (22.7%), 32/150 (21.3%), and 5/20 (25%), respectively, compared to 0% as demonstrated by culture. S. Anatum was the most common serovar found associated with red meat compared to S. kentucky isolated from fish and poultry meat. In conclusion, our study is the first to use a combined enrichment/invA qPCR method as a screening assay to detect Salmonella DNA in different types of commercialized food in Southern Tunisia. QPCR results indicate that Salmonella contamination is common in milk and in other types of food samples.

Key bacterial families (Clostridiaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae and Bacteroidaceae) are related to the digestion of protein and energy in dogs.

BackgroundMuch of the recent research in companion animal nutrition has focussed on understanding the role of diet on faecal microbiota composition. To date, diet-induced changes in faecal microbiota observed in humans and rodents have been extrapolated to pets in spite of their very different dietary and metabolic requirements. This lack of direct evidence means that the mechanisms by which microbiota influences health in dogs are poorly understood. We hypothesised that changes in faecal microbiota correlate with physiological parameters including apparent macronutrient digestibility.MethodsFifteen adult dogs were assigned to two diet groups, exclusively fed either a premium kibbled diet (kibble; K; n = 8) or a raw red meat diet (meat; M; n = 7) for nine weeks. Apparent digestibility of macronutrients (protein, fat, gross energy and dry matter), faecal weight, faecal health scores, faecal VFA concentrations and faecal microbial composition were determined. Datasets were integrated using mixOmics in R.ResultsFaecal weight and VFA levels were lower and the apparent digestibility of protein and energy were higher in dogs on the meat diet. Diet significantly affected 27 microbial families and 53 genera in the faeces. In particular, the abundances of Bacteriodes, Prevotella, Peptostreptococcus and Faecalibacterium were lower in dogs fed the meat diet, whereas Fusobacterium, Lactobacillus and Clostridium were all more abundant.DiscussionOur results show clear associations of specific microbial taxa with diet composition. For example, Clostridiaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae and Bacteroidaceae were highly correlated to parameters such as protein and fat digestibility in the dog. By understanding the relationship between faecal microbiota and physiological parameters we will gain better insights into the effects of diet on the nutrition of our pets.

Microbiome Populations in Lebanese Slaughterhouse Settings

Lebanon has traditionally relied on small ruminants and cattle livestock production to generate meat and dairy food products for the region. Consumer interest and changing residential populations have increased demand for these products, and highlighted food safety concerns along the community chain. Traditional livestock production levels have been unable to meet population demand for meat, necessitating supplemental importation of Brazilian and European cattle for this purpose. While microbial assessment has been studied in dairy and poultry sector products and retail fast foods there are no published reports examining microbial populations in slaughterhouse environments or on cut raw red meat in Lebanon. We determined total aerobic bacterial counts per gram of minced muscle specimen and aerobic bacterial counts per Replicate Organism Detection and Counting Plates (RODAC) plate surfaces (using in-house constructed plates) to characterize microbial species populations found in cattle and sheep carcasses immediately after halal slaughter, and on facility floors and walls within two main Lebanese slaughterhouses located in urban Beirut and rural Baalbek, the Bekaa valley, respectively. We also examined the histological appearance of raw meat muscle using snap frozen Optimal Cutting Temperature (OCT) media-embedded muscle specimens placed in liquid nitrogen cooled isopentane. The most frequently isolated bacterial species were Staphylococcus aureus and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Statistical examination of microbial number comparisons including both sheep and cattle microbial counts from initial individual visits made to both slaughterhouses were not significantly different using individual Student’s t Tests. However, Chi Square comparison of separate cattle and sheep muscle microbial counts obtained at initial visits to the Beirut and Baalbek slaughterhouses evaluated at initial culture testing were highly significantly different to the 90th percent probability level (χ2 = 3.4225, degrees of freedom = 1, alpha 0.10 = 2.706 ). This is the first published study of this type in Lebanon. Examining aerobic microbial species and processing procedures exhibited in the slaughterhouse environment provides a basis upon which to assess current food safety preventive practices. Developing a surveillance testing system for food animal health and zoonotic disease should facilitate and to consider future Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) planning critical control point sites for intervention within the Lebanese setting.

Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxin A Gene Isolated From Raw Red Meat And Poultry in Tehran, Iran

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is the most prevalent infectious agent of food materials. Enterotoxin producing types of S. aureus cause well-known food-borne disease. Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A (SEA) is the most important agent of gastroenteritis. Objectives: The present study aimed to screen the raw meat samples collected from different regions of Tehran for S. aureus infection and type of encoding enterotoxin. Materials and Methods: Hundred and eighty six meat samples were collected randomly from city dealers and transferred to laboratory within screw cap containers. The samples were first cultured according to the standard bacteriological methods and then S. aureus isolates were identified using standard bacteriological tests. The isolates were subjected to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to detect gene encoding SEA. Results: Staphylococcus aureus isolated from 29 (15.6%) meat samples including beef 14.8%, raw lamb 15%, raw chicken 15.7% and raw turkey 16.6%. Using special primer sets proved that the species isolated from five samples (two raw chicken, two raw beef and one raw turkey) encoded enterotoxin A. Conclusions: Although staphylococcal contamination within food material is more or less a routine, but detection of enterotoxin encoding species from raw meat samples is alarming for health authorities. These data highlight the importance of periodic surveillance of raw meat distributed among ordinary consumers.

Antibacterial Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria Cell Free Extract on the Growth of Local Isolates of Listeria moncytogenes from some Food Sources

The present study aimed to determine the antibacterial activity of lactic acid bacteria metabolites against Listeria monocytogenes which was isolated from some foods in local markets of Erbil and Koya cities; 225 food samples were examined for the presence of Listeria species particularly L. monocytogenes from October 2010 to March 2011. The studied samples included 70 samples of raw chicken meat, 55 samples of raw milk, 50 samples of cheese and 50 samples of raw red meat. According to motility test, hemolysin production, sugar fermentation test, 8 isolates of L. monocytogenes were identified, 1 (2 %) isolate from cheese, 2 (4 %) isolates from red meat and 5 (7.3 %) isolates from chicken meat. The percentages of contaminated foods for Listeria species from chicken meat, raw milk, cheese and red meat were 20, 9, 20 and 22% respectively. With respect to the biocontrolling attempt, the effect of cell free extract (CFE) of lactic acid bacteria (LBA) which is considered as safe against isolated L. monocytogene was used as biocontrolling agent. The CFE of lactic acid bacteria which isolated from local dairy products, was tested for its controlling ability by agar diffusion method, the CFE showed inhibition zone from (15-23 mm) in diameter. Also the minimum inhibitory concentration MIC of CFE was determined at three additive percentages (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5ml to 10 ml of nutrient broth), the inhibition percentage ranged from (28.75 - 48.97) at (0.5 %), (52.13-95.55) at (1 %) and (82.93 -98.15) at (1.5 %) additive percentage of CFE of LAB.

Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella Isolated from Meat and Meat Products in Algiers (Algeria)

This study was conducted in order to estimate the proportion of raw meat and processed meat products contaminated by Salmonella in the region of Algiers, Algeria, to identify serovars and to determine the antimicrobial resistance patterns of isolates. Out of the total 314 samples (144 of raw red meat and meat products, 128 of raw poultry meat and poultry products, and 42 of processed meat products) collected from various retail outlets, 61 (19.43%) were tested positive for Salmonella. The most significant occurrences were recorded for the categories of red meat (23.61%, n=34) and poultry (17.97%, n=23). Among the 64 isolates recovered, 21 different serovars were identified and two strains were nontypable. The most prevalent serovars were Salmonella Anatum (14.6%, n=9), Salmonella Altona (12.50%, n=8), Salmonella Corvallis (7.81%, n=5), Salmonella Enteritidis (7.81%, n=5), and Salmonella Typhimurium (7.81%, n=5). Sixty-two Salmonella isolates were tested for their susceptibility to 32 selected antimicrobial agents. Fifty-six (90.32%) isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, of which 20 (32.26%) showed multidrug resistance. Resistance to sulphonamides (87.10%, n=54) was the most common. Resistance rates were lower to nalidixic acid (16.13%, n=10), streptomycin (16.13%, n=10), and tetracycline (12.90%, n=8), while resistance to pefloxacin was estimated at 4.84% (n=3). Fourteen different resistance patterns were observed. The "ACSSuT" pentaresistance pattern was observed in three of the Salmonella Typhimurium strains. The obtained results show that these foodstuffs are a potential source of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella for human infections.

The role of drinking water in the transmission of antimicrobial-resistantE. coli

To determine whether drinking water contaminated with antimicrobial-resistant E. coli is associated with the carriage of resistant E. coli, selected households sending water samples to Ontario and Alberta laboratories in 2005-2006 were asked to participate in a cross-sectional study. Household members aged ≥12 years were asked to complete a questionnaire and to submit a rectal swab. In 878 individuals, 41% carried a resistant strain of E. coli and 28% carried a multidrug-resistant strain. The risk of carriage of resistant E. coli was 1·26 times higher for users of water contaminated with resistant E. coli. Other risk factors included international travel [prevalence ratio (PR) 1·33], having a child in nappies (PR 1·33), being male (PR 1·33), and frequent handling of raw red meats (PR 1·10). Protecting private water sources (e.g. by improving systems to test and treat them) may help slow the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli.

Die Bedeutung der beweglichen Aeromonaden als Krankheitserreger für den Menschen

The genus Aeromonas belongs to the family Aeromonadaceae of the order Aeromonadales and consists of 14 phenospecies and 17 genomospecies. They are gram-negative, oxidase-positive, facultatively anaerobic and glucose-fermenting rods. Members of the mesophilic genus Aeromonas spp. are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment and can be isolated from fresh, brackish and marine water. In nutrient-enriched waters they can attain large populations, particularly in the warm seasons at higher temperatures. Sewage effluents are also a major allochthonous source of the mesophilic aeromonads in the aquatic environment. Organisms of the mesophilic aeromonads also occur in fresh and processed foods, often in very high numbers. They have been isolated from a wide range of both animal and plant food, including raw red meat, fish, seafood or vegetables. This reflects undoubtedly the contact of that food with contaminated water. Species of Aeromonas (A. hydrophila, A. caviae, A. veronii) have been shown to be associated with food borne gastroenteritis, with wound infections acquired via water or with sepsis, peritonitis or meningitis. Unlike gastroenteritis, these infections can have fatal or serious debilitating outcomes. Aeromonas sepsis generally arises secondary to gastroenteritis or wound infection and is associated with high mortality rates. Underlying diseases, particularly liver cirrhosis, or immunsuppressive states also play a major role in the acquisition and outcome of these infections.

Campylobacter and Salmonella in raw red meats in the United Kingdom: Prevalence, characterization and antimicrobial resistance pattern, 2003–2005

The prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella was assessed in 3959 raw red meats in the UK during 2003–2005. Meats were more frequently contaminated with Campylobacter (7.2%) than with Salmonella (2.4%). Lamb and other meats (e.g. mutton, rabbit) exhibited the highest contamination from Campylobacter (12.6% and 19.8%, respectively), compared with pork (6.3%) and beef (4.9%). Pork however had the highest contamination from Salmonella (3.9%), followed by lamb (2.0%), other meats (2.0%) and beef (1.3%). Offal samples (36.6%) were more frequently contaminated with Campylobacter or Salmonella than muscle tissue (7.0%). C. jejuni predominated in all meat types. C. coli isolates were more likely to exhibit antimicrobial drug resistance, including quinolones, than C. jejuni. Salmonella typhimurium was the most frequent Salmonella serotype isolated from meats; S. typhimurium DT104/104b isolates exhibited higher rates of multiple drug resistance than other serotypes. The findings reinforce the importance of adequate cooking of meat and good hygiene to avoid cross-contamination.