21 results on '"Vangelis Economou"'
Search Results
2. Prevalence and characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes in meat, meat products, food handlers and the environment of the meat processing and the retail facilities of a company in Northern Greece
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Eleni Malissiova, Charalampos Kotzamanidis, George Papatzimos, Vangelis Economou, Virginia Giantzi, Daniel Sergelidis, Antonios Zdragas, Maria Kyritsi, and Christos Hadjichristodoulou
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Serotype ,Food handlers ,Meat ,biology ,Meat packing industry ,Greece ,business.industry ,Food Contamination ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease_cause ,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology ,Listeria monocytogenes ,Meat Products ,Antibiotic resistance ,Multiplex polymerase chain reaction ,Listeria ,medicine ,Food Microbiology ,Prevalence ,Food science ,Raw meat ,business - Abstract
In this study, we investigated the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes in the receiving meat, the meat products, the personnel and the environment of a vertically integrated company in Northern Greece owing a processing plant and three trading facilities. A total of 303 samples were examined from the receiving raw meat, raw meat preparations, ready-to-eat meat products, processing surfaces and the environment of these facilities as well as the food handlers' hands and nasal cavities. MALDI-TOF MS was used for Listeria identification; from the 22 (7·26%) positive to Listeria spp. isolates, 12 (3·96%) identified as L. monocytogenes, eight (2·64%) as Listeria innocua and two (0·66%) as Listeria welshimeri. Molecular serotyping of L. monocytogenes isolates by multiplex PCR revealed 11 strains belonging to serogroup IIa (1/2a and 3a) and one to IIc (1/2c and 3c). The assay for the detection of the virulence-associated genes revealed eight isolates carrying all the examined genes (inlA, inlB, inlC, plcA, prfA, actA, hlyA and iap) and four carrying all except the actA gene. Eleven (91·7%) of the isolates showed a strong ability to form biofilm. All isolates were multidrug resistant. The MALDI-TOF Main Spectrum Profile (MSPs), revealed three clusters: one with five isolates (four from environmental samples and one from a food handler), one with five isolates (all from environmental samples) and one with two isolates (both from raw meat products). MALDI-TOF MS seems to be a reliable tool for the identification of niches and contamination routes in processing plants, contributing also to the evaluation and improvement of the applied preventive measures to control L. monocytogenes.
- Published
- 2021
3. Phenotypic and Molecular Patterns of Resistance among Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni Isolates, from Pig Farms
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Evanthia Petridou, Spyridon K. Kritas, Dimitrios Papadopoulos, Georgios Delis, I Frydas, Ioannis A. Giantsis, Georgios C. Papadopoulos, Konstantinos Papageorgiou, Maria Hatzistylianou, and Vangelis Economou
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medicine.drug_class ,Tetracycline ,Veterinary medicine ,Antibiotics ,Erythromycin ,Biology ,medicine.disease_cause ,Campylobacter jejuni ,Article ,Microbiology ,Antibiotic resistance ,SF600-1100 ,medicine ,antimicrobial resistance ,Campylobacter ,General Veterinary ,pigs ,Quinolone ,biology.organism_classification ,QL1-991 ,Campylobacter coli ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Zoology ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Simple Summary Campylobacter spp. has been the leading cause of human diarrhea in EU since 2005. Although poultry and poultry meat are considered as the primary source of transmission of campylobacteriosis to humans, pigs can be a significant reservoir of the pathogen, as well. Moreover, the increase of antibiotic resistance in the specific pathogen, especially against fluroquinolones and macrolides is considered a significant threat for public health. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate and molecularly characterize the antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter infection in pig farms in Greece at both phenotypic and molecular level. Abstract The purpose of this research was to characterize the antibiotic resistance patterns of Campylobacter spp. isolated from commercial farrow to finish farms in Greece, and analyze the relevant molecular resistance mechanisms among the resistant Campylobacter isolates. Susceptibility testing to five different classes of antibiotics was performed in 100 C. coli and 100 C. jejuni, previously isolated and identified. All isolates were found susceptible to meropenem. Very high rates of resistance were recorded for tetracyclines (84.5%), medium rates of resistance were recorded regarding quinolones (23%), and low and very low rates of resistance were identified for macrolides such as erythromycin and aminoglycosides (12% and 4%, respectively). Only 12.5% of the Campylobacter isolates displayed MDR. Regarding the molecular mechanisms of resistance, all ciprofloxacin resistant isolates hosted the mutant type Thr-86-Ile region of the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of the gyrA gene. In all erythromycin resistant isolates, the transitional mutations A2075G and A2074C in the 23S rRNA gene were only amplified. Molecular screening of tetracycline resistance genes indicated that the vast majority of Campylobacter isolates (92.3%) were positive for the tet(O) gene. In summary, these findings and especially the very high and medium rates of resistance for tetracyclines and fluroquinolones, respectively recommend that a continuous monitoring of Campylobacter isolates susceptibility in combination with the proper use of antimicrobials in livestock production is of great importance for public health.
- Published
- 2021
4. Detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in foods of plant origin in North-Western Greece
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Hercules Sakkas, C. Papadopoulou, Panagiotis Karanis, Vangelis Economou, Petros Bozidis, and Panagiota Gousia
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Microbiology (medical) ,Giardiasis ,Veterinary medicine ,Diagnostic methods ,030231 tropical medicine ,Cryptosporidiosis ,Cryptosporidium ,Food Contamination ,Biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Health hazard ,parasitic diseases ,Animals ,Waste Management and Disposal ,030304 developmental biology ,Water Science and Technology ,0303 health sciences ,Greece ,Diarrhoeal disease ,Giardia ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Oocysts ,food and beverages ,Contamination ,biology.organism_classification ,Infectious Diseases ,Food Analysis - Abstract
Giardia and Cryptosporidium are recognized as leading causes of waterborne and foodborne diarrhoeal disease with worldwide distribution. The study aimed to determine the protozoan contamination of various foods of plant origin. A total of 72 samples from 27 different varieties of fresh vegetables and fruits were collected from supermarkets and open markets in North-Western Greece and were examined using conventional diagnostic methods. Two out of 72 (2.8%) samples were found positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts, while no sample was found to be positive for Giardia cysts. The results show the presence of protozoan contamination in foods of plant origin, which may constitute a potential health hazard.
- Published
- 2020
5. Controversial Aspects Displayed by Enterococci: Probiotics or Pathogens?
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Moreno Bondi, Simona De Niederhausern, Vangelis Economou, Andrea Lauková, C. Papadopoulou, and Patrizia Messi
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General Immunology and Microbiology ,Article Subject ,Virulence Factors ,business.industry ,Probiotics ,General Medicine ,Biology ,Food safety ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Gastrointestinal Microbiome ,Biotechnology ,Editorial ,Bacteriocin ,Food safety, Enterococci, Lactic Acid Bacteria, bacteriocin ,Food Microbiology ,Animals ,Humans ,Medicine ,business ,Enterococcus - Published
- 2020
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6. Occurrence and molecular characterization of betanodaviruses in fish and invertebrates of the Greek territorial waters
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Chrysostomos I. Dovas, F. Athanassopoulou (Φ. Αθανασοπουλου), Eirini Lampou, Taxiarchis Chassalevris, Vangelis Economou, and Konstantina Bitchava
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0301 basic medicine ,Genotype ,Veterinary (miscellaneous) ,Betanodavirus ,Zoology ,Aquatic Science ,Mediterranean Basin ,Virus ,03 medical and health sciences ,Fish Diseases ,RNA Virus Infections ,Phylogenetics ,Reassortant Viruses ,Animals ,Nodaviridae ,Phylogeny ,Invertebrate ,Phylogenetic tree ,biology ,Greece ,Fishes ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,biology.organism_classification ,Invertebrates ,030104 developmental biology ,040102 fisheries ,0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries ,RNA, Viral - Abstract
Betanodaviruses are small ssRNA viruses that cause viral encephalopathy and retinopathy, a severe neuropathological infectious disease in marine fish species worldwide. In the present study, the occurrence of betanodaviruses was investigated in wild and cultured populations of fishes and invertebrates of the Greek territorial waters. Betanodaviruses were detected in 35 species belonging to 21 families and 12 orders. To our knowledge, 23 of those are reported for the first time in Greek waters, while 11 of them are reported for the first time globally. The positive samples were subjected to sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of partial segments of RNA1 and RNA2 genes. Almost all the viruses circulating in Greece fell within RGNNV genotype, while reassortant viruses were detected in three samples, namely two inter-RGNNV and one RGNNV/SJNNV. A novel unclassified Betanodavirus sequence was also identified. Most of the Greek sequence types have a restricted geographic distribution except for two RNA1 and one RNA2 sequence types that are widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin. The results of this study indicate the range of reservoirs/hosts of betanodaviruses and also their wide spread in the Greek territorial waters and reinforce the hypothesis that wild fish species transmit the virus to cultured ones and vice versa.
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- 2019
7. Antibacterial Efficacy of Commercially Available Essential Oils Tested Against Drug-Resistant Gram-Positive Pathogens
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Stefanos Petsios, Panagiota Gousia, Vasilios A. Sakkas, Vangelis Economou, Afrodite Ilia, George Mpekoulis, Petros Bozidis, C. Papadopoulou, and Hercules Sakkas
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0301 basic medicine ,VRE ,multi-drug resistant ,MRSA ,lcsh:Technology ,law.invention ,lcsh:Chemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,law ,medicine ,General Materials Science ,Carvacrol ,Food science ,MIC ,Instrumentation ,Thymol ,essential oils ,lcsh:QH301-705.5 ,Essential oil ,Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes ,antimicrobial activity ,biology ,lcsh:T ,Process Chemistry and Technology ,General Engineering ,Tea tree oil ,Melaleuca alternifolia ,Origanum ,biology.organism_classification ,Ocimum ,lcsh:QC1-999 ,Computer Science Applications ,030104 developmental biology ,Matricaria chamomilla ,chemistry ,lcsh:Biology (General) ,lcsh:QD1-999 ,lcsh:TA1-2040 ,lcsh:Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,lcsh:Physics ,medicine.drug - Abstract
The potential antibacterial activity of basil (Ocimum basilicum), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), origanum (Thymus capitatus), tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oils, was investigated against 29 Gram-positive bacterial strains isolated from wastewater treatment plants, clinical samples (n = 25) and American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) reference strains (n = 4). Wild bacterial strains included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (n = 16) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (n = 9). The antimicrobial activity of the selected oils was studied using the broth macrodilution method. The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values for S. aureus ranged from 0.06 to 0.5% (v/v) for origanum oil, 0.06 to 1% (v/v) for thyme oil, 0.12 to 1% (v/v) for tea tree oil, 0.25 to 4% (v/v) for basil oil and 2 to >, 4% (v/v) for chamomile oil. For enterococci the MIC values were significantly higher ranging from 0.25 to 1% (v/v), 0.5 to 2% (v/v), 1 to 4% (v/v), 4 to >, 4% (v/v) and >, 4% (v/v) for the above-mentioned oils, respectively. The main compounds of the tested essential oils were: estragole (Ocimum basilicum), bisabolol and trans-b-farnesene (Matricaria chamomilla), carvacrol and thymol (Thymus capitatus), terpinen-4-ol and p-cymene (Melaleuca alternifolia), thymol, linalool, and p-cymene (Thymus vulgaris). Origanum essential oil yielded the best antimicrobial results followed by thyme, tea tree, and basil oil, while chamomile oil exhibited weak antibacterial properties.
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- 2018
8. In vitro antimicrobial activity of five essential oils on multi-drug resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates
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Panagiota Gousia, Vassilios A. Sakkas, Chrissanthy Papadopoulou, Hercules Sakkas, Vangelis Economou, and Stefanos Petsios
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0301 basic medicine ,030106 microbiology ,Toxicology ,essential oil ,Microbiology ,law.invention ,03 medical and health sciences ,law ,Klebsiella ,Pseudomonas ,medicine ,Escherichia coli ,Pharmacology (medical) ,lcsh:Miscellaneous systems and treatments ,Essential oil ,Original Research ,Pharmacology ,antimicrobial activity ,biology ,Traditional medicine ,Acinetobacter ,multidrug resistant ,lcsh:RM1-950 ,Tea tree oil ,Origanum ,multi-drug resistant ,biology.organism_classification ,Antimicrobial ,lcsh:RZ409.7-999 ,Acinetobacter baumannii ,Multiple drug resistance ,lcsh:Therapeutics. Pharmacology ,Complementary and alternative medicine ,Antibacterial activity ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Aim/Background: The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens has drawn attention on medicinal plants for potential antimicrobial properties. The objective of the present study was the investigation of the antimicrobial activity of five plant essential oils on multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Materials and Methods: Basil, chamomile blue, origanum, thyme, and tea tree oil were tested against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 6), Escherichia coli (n = 4), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 7), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 5) using the broth macrodilution method. Results: The tested essential oils produced variable antibacterial effect, while Chamomile blue oil demonstrated no antibacterial activity. Origanum, Thyme, and Basil oils were ineffective on P. aeruginosa isolates. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration values ranged from 0.12% to 1.50% (v/v) for tea tree oil, 0.25-4% (v/v) for origanum and thyme oil, 0.50% to >4% for basil oil and >4% for chamomile blue oil. Compared to literature data on reference strains, the reported MIC values were different by 2SD, denoting less successful antimicrobial activity against multidrug resistant isolates. Conclusions: The antimicrobial activities of the essential oils are influenced by the strain origin (wild, reference, drug sensitive, or resistant) and it should be taken into consideration whenever investigating the plants’ potential for developing new antimicrobials.
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- 2016
9. Prevalence and antimicrobial profile of Campylobacter isolates from free-range and conventional farming chicken meat during a 6-year survey
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Hercules Sakkas, Chrissanthy Papadopoulou, N. Soultos, Stefanos Petsios, Nikolaos Zisides, Vangelis Economou, and Panagiota Gousia
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Imipenem ,Veterinary medicine ,Cefotaxime ,business.industry ,Campylobacter ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,Poultry farming ,Biology ,medicine.disease_cause ,Amikacin ,Ampicillin ,Clavulanic acid ,medicine ,Cefoxitin ,business ,Food Science ,Biotechnology ,medicine.drug - Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in the meat of free-range and conventional farming broilers and to assess the respective antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. Three hundred and sixty nine fresh chicken meat samples were collected from different farms at slaughter (60 from free-range poultry farms and 309 from conventional farms) in North Western Greece. Susceptibility tests against 12 antimicrobials (amikacin, gentamicin, imipenem, cefamandole, cefotaxime, cefoxitin, imipenem, erythromycin, ampicillin, amoxicillin – clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline) were performed. Campylobacter spp. was isolated from 91 (29.4%) of the free-range chicken meat and from 106 (28.7%) of the conventional farming chicken meat samples. The annual incidence of Campylobacter spp. among the free-range and conventional broilers was not statistically significant. However, a reducing trend was observed in the overall prevalence of Campylobacter spp. from 2005 to 2010. Variable resistance rates were observed towards the tested antimicrobials: erythromycin (76%), tetracyclines (71%), ampicillin (66%), ciprofloxacin (51%), cefamendole (41%) cefoxitin (27%), amikacin (15%), and cefotaxime (5%). No differences were observed in the antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from free-range and conventional farming samples.
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- 2015
10. Vancomycin-Resistance Phenotypes, Vancomycin-Resistance Genes, and Resistance to Antibiotics of Enterococci Isolated from Food of Animal Origin
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Vangelis Economou, Panagiota Gousia, Chrissanthy Papadopoulou, and Petros Bozidis
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Meat ,Genotype ,Swine ,Tetracycline ,Eggs ,Enterococcus faecium ,Microbial Sensitivity Tests ,Drug resistance ,Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology ,Microbiology ,Vancomycin ,Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ,Ampicillin ,Multiplex polymerase chain reaction ,Enterococcus faecalis ,medicine ,Animals ,biology ,Vancomycin Resistance ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,biology.organism_classification ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Penicillin ,Ciprofloxacin ,Phenotype ,Genes, Bacterial ,Food Microbiology ,Cattle ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Chickens ,Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Food Science ,medicine.drug - Abstract
In the present study, 500 raw beef, pork, and chicken meat samples and 100 pooled egg samples were analyzed for the presence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci, vancomycin-resistance phenotypes, and resistance genes. Of 141 isolates of enterococci, 88 strains of Enterococcus faecium and 53 strains of E. faecalis were identified. The most prevalent species was E. faecium. Resistance to ampicillin (n = 93, 66%), ciprofloxacin (n = 74, 52.5%), erythromycin (n = 73, 51.8%), penicillin (n = 59, 41.8%) and tetracycline (n = 52, 36.9%) was observed, while 53.2% (n = 75) of the isolates were multiresistant and 15.6% (n = 22) were susceptible to all antibiotics. Resistance to vancomycin was exhibited in 34.1% (n = 30) of the E. faecium isolates (n = 88) and 1.9% (n = 1) of the E. faecalis isolates (n = 53) using the disc-diffusion test and the E-test. All isolates were tested for vanA and vanB using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex PCR, and for vanC, vanD, vanE, vanG genes using multiplex PCR only. Among E. faecalis isolates, no resistance genes were identified. Among the E. faecium isolates, 28 carried the vanA gene when tested by multiplex PCR and 29 when tested with real-time PCR. No isolate carrying the vanC, vanD, vanE, or vanG genes was identified. Melting-curve analysis of the positive real-time PCR E. faecium isolates showed that 22 isolates carried the vanA gene only, 2 isolates the vanB2,3 genes only, and seven isolates carried both the vanA and vanB2,3 genes. Enterococci should be considered a significant zoonotic pathogen and a possible reservoir of genes encoding resistance potentially transferred to other bacterial species.
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- 2015
11. Antibiotic Resistance inEnterococcusspp. Friend or Foe?
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Hercules Sakkas, Vangelis Economou, Georgios Delis, and Panagiota Gousia
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0301 basic medicine ,03 medical and health sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,Antibiotic resistance ,030106 microbiology ,medicine ,Enterococcus spp ,Food preservation ,Vancomycin ,Biology ,Fermentation in food processing ,medicine.drug ,Microbiology - Published
- 2017
12. Toxic Cyanobacteria. A Biological Hazard for Animal and Public Health: A Review
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Panagiotis Angelidis, ros Theodoridis, Evanthia Petridou, Vangelis Economou, Alex, Maria Kalaitzidou, and George Filioussis
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Cyanobacteria ,medicine.medical_specialty ,biology ,Brackish water ,Ecology ,Public health ,Microorganism ,General Medicine ,biology.organism_classification ,Biological hazard ,Contaminated water ,Toxicology ,Human health ,Algae ,medicine ,bacteria - Abstract
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are widespread prokaryotic microorganisms, common residents in fresh, brackish and marine waters and terrestrial environments. Many species of them produce toxins as secondary metabolites, the cyanotoxins. They have hepatotoxic, neurotoxic and cytotoxic effects, on animal and human health. Serious intoxications are reported on domestic and wild animals and on pets as well. Moreover, public health incidents have been described during Cyanobacteria l blooms, especially after drinking contaminated water and recreational activities. The aim of this review is to determine the importance of these toxic Cyanobacteria as biological hazard on humans and animals.
- Published
- 2016
13. Brucellosis in humans: why is it so elusive?
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Evdokia Vassalou, Chryssanthy Papadopoulou, Constantine M. Vassalos, and Vangelis Economou
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Microbiology (medical) ,biology ,medicine.drug_class ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Antibiotics ,Prevalence ,Brucellosis ,Brucella ,Disease ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,Microbiology ,Serology ,Immunology ,medicine ,Endocarditis - Abstract
Brucellaspp. are small, slow-growing, Gram-negative coccobacilli that are responsiblefor brucellosis, the most common zoonotic disease worldwide. Brucellosis is a notifi-able disease in most countries. Brucellosis is also considered as an occupational,laboratoryandtravel-acquireddisease.Brucellaspp.aretransmittedthroughconsump-tion of raw animal products (food-borne brucellosis) and animal contact. They may bespread through droplets in the air; they are traditionally classified as a class Bbioterrorism agent. Brucellosis incidents have been reported in relation to domesticanimals. Brucella strains have been isolated from terrestrial and marine mammals.Brucella melitensis, B. suis and B. abortus differ in host range, pathogenicity andvirulence. B. canis infections have rarely been reported. Current global trends onthe incidence of brucellosis are reviewed. Brucellosis is often overlooked and canmimic other conditions; it may be acute, subacute or chronic in presentation, and mayinvolve various body sites. Recent studies on endocarditis, osteoarticular, haematolo-gical,neurologicalandotherinvolvementsarereviewed.Relapsesinbrucellosisshouldalso be considered. Collaboration between the microbiologist and the clinician isimportant for diagnosis, since diagnosis of brucellosis is based on laboratory testing byserologyand,ultimatelybyculture,inthecontextofclinicalpresentationandhistoryofrecentorpastexposure.AdvancedPCR-basedtechniquesmayalsobeusedtodiagnosebrucellosis. Today a combination of antibiotics are recommended in treatment,whereas further therapeutic approaches are possible. New challenges posed by inter-national travel, animal trade, animal movement, and occupational migration to/fromendemiccountriesmayincreaseincidenceofhumancasesandtheriskofre-emergenceof brucellosis in previously brucellosis free regions such as Northern and CentralEurope. Animals are considered to be lifelong carriers of Brucella spp. providing alarge continuous source of human infection. A lower incidence of human brucellosis islikely to result from a decrease in incidence of animal brucellosis. Control andsurveillance strategies may depend on the level of healthcare development and theprevalence of reservoir hosts in the affected region.
- Published
- 2009
14. Isolation of a rare Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain from farm animals in Greece
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Chrissanthy Papadopoulou, I. Apostolou, A Kansouzidou, S. Levidiotou, Vangelis Economou, G. Filioussis, and A Dontorou
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Serotype ,Feces/microbiology ,Sheep Diseases/*microbiology ,Immunology ,Cattle Diseases ,Sheep Diseases ,Latex Fixation Tests/veterinary ,Escherichia coli O157/*isolation & purification/metabolism ,Biology ,Escherichia coli O157 ,Shiga Toxins ,medicine.disease_cause ,Shiga Toxin 2 ,Microbiology ,Feces ,fluids and secretions ,medicine ,Animals ,Immunology and Allergy ,Cattle Diseases/*microbiology ,Bacteriophage Typing ,Escherichia coli Infections/microbiology/*veterinary ,Escherichia coli ,Pathogen ,Escherichia coli Infections ,Glucuronidase ,Goat Diseases ,Sheep ,Greece ,General Veterinary ,Goats ,Shiga Toxins/metabolism ,food and beverages ,General Medicine ,Isolation (microbiology) ,biology.organism_classification ,Enterobacteriaceae ,Goat Diseases/*microbiology ,Infectious Diseases ,Carriage ,Glucuronidase/metabolism ,Cattle ,Latex Fixation Tests ,Bacteria - Abstract
A strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was isolated from goat faeces during a surveillance study on the prevalence of this serotype of E. coli in farm animals in Greece. Three hundred and fifty one faecal samples were collected from goat, sheep and cattle breeding farms in the area of Epirus, Northwestern Greece. The E. coli O157:H7 isolate was nonsorbitol-fermenter, produced only VT2 and showed a beta-glucuronidase positive activity, a rather unusual biochemical feature for the E. coli O157:H7 serotype. No other strain of E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from the faecal samples of the rest farm animals examined, thus the overall prevalence of animal carriage was found to be 0.2%. The findings also indicate that goats can be a reservoir of E. coli O157:H7 and goat milk, dairy products and meat may serve as a vehicle for the pathogen transmission to humans. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis
- Published
- 2004
15. Microbial Quality and Histamine Producing Microflora Analysis of the Ice Used for Fish Preservation
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Panagiota Gousia, Vangelis Economou, Chrissanthy Papadopoulou, Despoina Kemenetzi, and Hercules Sakkas
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0301 basic medicine ,biology ,030106 microbiology ,Pseudomonas ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,Flake ice ,Contamination ,biology.organism_classification ,040401 food science ,Microbiology ,Vibrio ,Fecal coliform ,03 medical and health sciences ,0404 agricultural biotechnology ,Fish preservation ,Parasitology ,Seawater ,Food science ,Bacteria ,Food Science - Abstract
The aim of the present study was the estimation of the microbiological quality of ice used for fish preservation. Samples of flake ice, produced either from potable or seawater were collected monthly during a 12 month period and were examined for total heterotrophic count (THC) at 37°C and 5°C, total and fecal coliforms, enterococci, Pseudomonas spp., staphylococci, fungi, Vibrio spp., and histamine producing bacteria (HPB). THC at 37°C was higher than the IPIA limit in 15% of the samples (9/60). In 91.67% of the samples (55/60) at least one fecal coliform colony was counted, with three of them (5%) exhibiting counts larger than 100 CFU/100g. All samples tested positive for enterococci, with 6 samples (10%) exhibiting counts greater than 100 CFU/100g. From the 282 isolates characterized as HPB, 24.10% were Pseudomonas spp. (n = 67), 20.86% belonged to Enterobacteriaceae (n = 58) and 19.42% were Staphylococcus spp. (n = 54). Therefore, the ice used for fish preservation can be a potential source of microbial contamination, particularly of HPB; ice production from safe potable water should be practiced in order to safeguard public health. Practical Applications Ice is used extensively for fish preservation, providing an easy and cost effective way to control temperature of stored fish. Ice is a possible vehicle of pathogens contaminating the fish. The present research provides insight in the potential microbial contamination of fish by ice. Factors such as the nature of the water (potable water, seawater) used for ice production and the ice production process (small scale production at the retail store, production in an ice facility) were examined. Also, the involvement of ice as source of histamine producing bacteria was assessed based on the isolation, identification and enumeration of histamine producing bacteria in the examined ice samples. Therefore the results of this study provide useful data that can be applied to minimize the microbial burden of fish due to contaminated ice, to lengthen fish storage life and to avoid pathogen transmission to the consumers.
- Published
- 2016
16. Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and relation to indicator and pathogenic microorganisms of Salmonella enterica isolated from surface waters within an agricultural landscape
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Vangelis Economou, Chrissanthy Papadopoulou, Panagiota Gousia, Panagiotis Karanis, Hercules Sakkas, and Athina Kansouzidou
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Salmonella ,Salmonella enteritidis ,Oceans and Seas ,Colony Count, Microbial ,Indicator bacteria ,Microbial Sensitivity Tests ,medicine.disease_cause ,Microbiology ,Rivers ,Ampicillin ,Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ,medicine ,Seawater ,biology ,Bacteria ,Greece ,Campylobacter ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Fungi ,Agriculture ,biology.organism_classification ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Fecal coliform ,Salmonella enterica ,Listeria ,Water Microbiology ,medicine.drug ,Environmental Monitoring - Abstract
During a 12 month period (June 2007-May 2008), the prevalence and susceptibility of Salmonella serovars and their relation to specific pathogenic and indicator bacteria in river and coastal waters was investigated. A total of 240 water samples were collected from selected sites in Acheron and Kalamas Rivers and the Ionian Sea coast in north western Greece. The samples were analyzed for Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli O157, Staphylococci, Pseudomonas spp., Total Coliforms, Fecal Coliforms, Fecal Streptococci, Total Heterotrophic Flora at 20°C and at 37°C, fungi and protozoa (Cryptosporidium, Giardia). Susceptibility tests to nine antimicrobials (ampicillin, amikacin, amoxicillin/clavulavic acid, cefuroxime, ciprofloxacin, cefoxitin, tetracycline, ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin/sulbactam) were performed using the disk diffusion method for Salmonella isolates. We isolated 28 serovars of Salmonella spp. identified as Salmonella enteritidis (23), Salmonella thompson (3) and Salmonella virchow (2). Multi-drug resistant Salmonella serovars were isolated from both river and marine waters, with 34.8% of S. enteritidis and 100% of S. virchow being resistant to more than 3 antibiotics. Also we isolated 42 strains of Listeria spp. identified as L. monocytogenes (20), L. innocua (9), L. seeligeri (2) and L. ivanovii (11). All the Listeria isolates were susceptible to the tested antibiotics. No Campylobacter spp., E. coli O157, Cryptosporidium and Giardia were detected. The overall ranges (and average counts) of the indicator bacteria were: Total Coliforms 0-4×10(4)cfu/100ml (3.7×10(3)cfu/100ml), Fecal Coliforms 0-9×10(3)cfu/100ml (9.2×10(2)cfu/100ml), Fecal Streptococci 0-3.5×10(4)cfu/100ml (1.4×10(3)cfu/100ml), Total Heterotrophic Flora at 20°C 0-6×10(3)cfu/ml (10(3)cfu/ml) and at 37°C 0-5×10(3)cfu/ml (4.9×10(2)cfu/ml). Weak or non significant positive Spearman correlations (p
- Published
- 2012
17. Microbial ethanol production: experimental study and multivariate evaluation
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Vangelis Economou, Vassiliki A. Boumba, Chrissanthy Papadopoulou, Panagiota Gousia, Nikolaos Kourkoumelis, and Theodore Vougiouklakis
- Subjects
Chromatography, Gas ,Clostridium sporogenes ,Butanols ,1-Propanol ,Gram-Positive Bacteria ,Models, Biological ,Enterococcus faecalis ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,1-Butanol ,Pentanols ,Clostridium ,Gram-Negative Bacteria ,Humans ,Ethanol fuel ,Food science ,Ethanol metabolism ,Ethanol ,biology ,Chemistry ,Isobutanol ,biology.organism_classification ,Biochemistry ,Regression Analysis ,Fermentation ,Anaerobic bacteria ,Law - Abstract
Ethanol can be produced from all the postmortem available substrates, though with higher rates and yields from carbohydrates, during the early stages of putrefaction. The so-called higher alcohols (1-propanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol and 3-methyl-2-butanol) and 1-butanol could be produced, from all the available postmortem substrates. However, a quantitative relationship between the produced ethanol and the potentially produced other alcohols is still missing. The objective of this study was the development of a simple, mathematical model which could be able to approximate the microbial produced ethanol in correlation with other produced alcohols. The selected bacterial species included two Gram+ spore-forming anaerobic bacteria and two (one Gram+ one Gram-) aerobic/facultative anaerobic bacteria, all being common commensals of the digestive tract and common colonizers of the corpse. The selected bacterial strains, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfrigens, Clostridium sporogenes and Enterococcus faecalis, were cultured separately at 25 degrees C, for 30 days, under controlled anaerobic conditions. The produced ethanol and the previously referred alcohols were determined in the culture medium in 24h intervals. Using partial least squares (PLS) regression, the estimation of the relevance score for the available descriptors established the statistical model to assess the ethanol concentration produced by each studied microbe. E. coli, C. perfrigens, and C. sporogenes produced different patterns of ethanol and other alcohols, while E. faecalis produced negligible amounts of ethanol and higher alcohols. In constructing the mathematical models to predict the produced ethanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, and isobutanol were significant for C. perfrigens and C. sporogenes, while 1-butanol, 1-propanol, and methyl-butanol were significant for E. coli. The applicability of these models was tested in microbial, anaerobic cultures of normal human blood and plasma at 25 degrees C. The results indicate that factors such as the type of microbe species, the glucose content and the medium composition apparently affect the procedure of microbial ethanol, and other alcohols production. However, the models can be applied with acceptable accuracy and they show potential for application in real postmortem cases. Forensic Sci Int
- Published
- 2012
18. Chemical investigation and antimicrobial properties of mastic water and its major constituents
- Author
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Alexios-Leandros Skaltsounis, S. Paraschos, Vangelis Economou, Prokopios Magiatis, Panagiota Gousia, Hercules Sakkas, and Chrissanthy Papadopoulou
- Subjects
Mastic Resin ,Pharmaceutical Science ,law.invention ,Analytical Chemistry ,Steam distillation ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Linalool ,law ,Drug Discovery ,Medicine ,Verbenone ,Pharmacology ,Chromatography ,biology ,Traditional medicine ,business.industry ,Organic Chemistry ,General Medicine ,biology.organism_classification ,Antimicrobial ,chemistry ,Complementary and alternative medicine ,Pistacia lentiscus ,Candida spp ,Molecular Medicine ,Composition (visual arts) ,business ,Food Science - Abstract
Mastic water is a commercial flavouring obtained during the steam distillation of mastic resin (the resin of Pistacia lentiscus var. chia) for the production of mastic oil. The mastic water extracts were analysed by GCMS. The major compounds identified were verbenone, a-terpineol, linalool and trans-pinocarveol. Overall the composition was found to be very different from that of mastic oil. Additional GCMS revealed the enantiomeric ratio of the chiral constituents of mastic water. The antimicrobial activity of mastic water extract, as well as that of its major constituents, was examined against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida spp. including ATCC wild clinical and food-borne strains. Linalool and a-terpineol were found to be the most potent antimicrobial constituents. Finally the stability of mas- tic water at different temperatures was studied, showing no change in the GCMS profile of the organic extract for a period of 4 months at storage temperatures up to 4 C. 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
- Published
- 2009
19. Microbiological quality of indoor and outdoor swimming pools in Greece: investigation of the antibiotic resistance of the bacterial isolates
- Author
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Stamatina Leveidiotou, Xenofon Giannakopoulos, Hercules Sakkas, George Filioussis, Panagiotis Karanis, Vangelis Economou, Panagiota Gousia, Chrissanthy Papadopoulou, Helen Gessouli, and Catherine Dontorou
- Subjects
Salmonella ,Water/*analysis/standards ,Ochrobactrum anthropi ,Legionella ,Chryseobacterium indologenes ,Water Microbiology/standards ,Microbial Sensitivity Tests ,Gram-Positive Bacteria ,medicine.disease_cause ,Microbiology ,Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ,Swimming Pools ,Gram-Negative Bacteria ,Drug Resistance, Bacterial ,medicine ,Candida/isolation & purification ,Hydrotherapy/standards ,Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects/*isolation & purification ,Candida ,Hydrotherapy ,biology ,Greece ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Temperature ,Water ,biology.organism_classification ,Alternaria ,Pseudomonas alcaligenes ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Aeromonas hydrophila ,Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects/*isolation & purification ,Water Microbiology ,Enterobacter cloacae ,Swimming Pools/standards - Abstract
During 1997–2005, the microbiological quality and susceptibility of bacterial isolates of swimming pool waters were investigated. A total of 462 water samples were collected from three indoor swimming pools (a teaching pool, a competition public pool, a hydrotherapy pool) and two outdoor swimming pools (a hotel semi-public and a residential private pool) in Northwestern Greece. All water samples were analyzed for the presence of bacteria, protozoa and fungi and susceptibility tests were performed for the bacterial isolates. Sixty-seven percent of the examined water samples conformed to the microbiological standards and 32.9% exceeded at least one of the indicated limits. Out of 107 bacterial isolates, 38 (35.5%) resistant strains were detected. Multi-resistant Pseudomonas alcaligenes , Leuconostoc , and Staphylococcus aureus (isolated from the teaching pool), Staphylococcus wernerii , Chryseobacterium indologenes and Ochrobactrum anthropi (isolated from the competition pool), Pseudomonas aeruginosa , P. fluorescens , Aeromonas hydrophila , Enterobacter cloacae , Klebsiella pneumoniae and S. aureus (isolated from the hydrotherapy pool) and A. hydrophila (isolated from the hotel pool) were detected. The swimming pool with the poorest microbiological quality (THC ⩾500 cfu/ml in 12.1% of the samples, P. aeruginosa counts ⩽1500 cfu/100 ml in 6% of the samples) and the highest prevalence of multi-resistant isolates (73.6%) was the hydrotherapy pool. No Cryptosporidium or Giardia cysts and no Legionella, Mycobacteria and Salmonella were detected, but there were isolations of Candida albicans , Aspergillus spp., Mucor spp., Alternaria spp., Rhizopus spp., Trichophyton spp., and Penicillium spp.
- Published
- 2008
20. Diarrheic shellfish poisoning due to toxic mussel consumption: the first recorded outbreak in Greece
- Author
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A Kansouzidou, G. Filioussis, Vangelis Economou, Chrissanthy Papadopoulou, K. Seferiadis, K. Charalabopoulos, and M. Brett
- Subjects
Diarrhea ,Veterinary medicine ,animal structures ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Greece/epidemiology ,Marine Toxins/analysis/toxicity ,Disease Outbreaks ,Food Contamination ,Toxicology ,Algal bloom ,Diarrhea/*epidemiology/etiology ,Foodborne Diseases ,Mice ,Bivalvia/*chemistry ,Animals ,Humans ,Shellfish Poisoning ,Biological Assay/methods ,Eukaryota/isolation & purification ,Shellfish ,Mice, Inbred BALB C ,biology ,Greece ,fungi ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Dinophysis acuminata ,food and beverages ,Outbreak ,Eukaryota ,General Chemistry ,Mussel ,Bivalvia ,biology.organism_classification ,Foodborne Diseases/epidemiology/etiology ,humanities ,Mytilus ,Fishery ,Chemistry (miscellaneous) ,Food Contamination/*analysis ,Biological Assay ,Marine Toxins ,Dinophysis ,Food Science - Abstract
During the week of 14-20 January 2000, 120 people visited the Emergency Departments of hospitals in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, complaining of acute gastrointestinal illness after eating mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). The symptoms indicated diarrhoeic shellfish poisoning, and the toxicity of mussels harvested from Thermaikos Gulf in Thessaloniki during the outbreak was investigated using mouse bioassays. The bioassays revealed toxicity to mice by the mussel samples; while high numbers of toxic algae Dinophysis acuminata were identified in water samples from Thermaikos Gulf. The harvesting of mussels was immediately suspended and a monitoring programme for algal blooms was established from then onwards. During a follow-up of the mussels' toxicity from January 2000 to January 2005, two more mussel samples were found positive for diarrheic shellfish poisoning: one harvested in March 2001 from the area of the outbreak (Thermaikos Gulf) and the other harvested in January 2001 from Amvrakikos Gulf in north-western Greece. However, no sporadic cases or outbreaks were reported during this period. Food Addit Contam
- Published
- 2007
21. Agriculture and food animals as a source of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria
- Author
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Vangelis Economou and Panagiota Gousia
- Subjects
Pharmacology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.drug_class ,Transmission (medicine) ,business.industry ,Public health ,Antibiotics ,alternatives to antibiotics ,Review ,Biology ,Animal husbandry ,Food safety ,Biotechnology ,food safety ,Infectious Diseases ,Antibiotic resistance ,medicine ,Infection control ,Pharmacology (medical) ,antimicrobial resistance ,Microbiome ,business ,farm animals ,foodborne pathogens - Abstract
One of the major breakthroughs in the history of medicine is undoubtedly the discovery of antibiotics. Their use in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine has resulted in healthier and more productive farm animals, ensuring the welfare and health of both animals and humans. Unfortunately, from the first use of penicillin, the resistance countdown started to tick. Nowadays, the infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are increasing, and resistance to antibiotics is probably the major public health problem. Antibiotic use in farm animals has been criticized for contributing to the emergence of resistance. The use and misuse of antibiotics in farm animal settings as growth promoters or as nonspecific means of infection prevention and treatment has boosted antibiotic consumption and resistance among bacteria in the animal habitat. This reservoir of resistance can be transmitted directly or indirectly to humans through food consumption and direct or indirect contact. Resistant bacteria can cause serious health effects directly or via the transmission of the antibiotic resistance traits to pathogens, causing illnesses that are difficult to treat and that therefore have higher morbidity and mortality rates. In addition, the selection and proliferation of antibiotic-resistant strains can be disseminated to the environment via animal waste, enhancing the resistance reservoir that exists in the environmental microbiome. In this review, an effort is made to highlight the various factors that contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in farm animals and to provide some insights into possible solutions to this major health issue.
- Published
- 2015
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