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Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes are foodborne pathogens of global importance. We assessed their risks and associated factors in a highly dynamic population of animals. Animal and environmental samples were collected from dairy cattle, sheep, camel and chickens at either the farms or the abattoirs. The pathogens were detected using a combination of bacterial enrichment culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Data on putative risk factors were collect and analysed for their significance of association with these pathogens. Salmonella spp. were detected at higher proportions in sheep faeces and sheep carcasses in comparison to cattle faeces (odds ratio = 2.4 and 2.2, respectively). This pathogen was less common in milk or carcasses samples from cattle or chickens. Sheep and camel carcass samples were highly contaminated with Salmonella spp. Faecal samples from cattle had the most diverse serovars of Salmonella enterica including S. Newport, S. Haifa, S. Kedougou, S. Kentucky, S. Mbandaka and S. Goettingen. Exotic serovars in sheep included S. Eastbourne, S. Chester and S. Kottnus. Serovars that were shed in camel faeces included S. Newport, S. Bovismorbificans and S. Infantis. In all sampled populations, detection of Salmonella spp. was more likely during warmer months than cold months. Listeria monocytogenes was not common in the targeted populations and was detected at a rate of 2.4%, mainly from sheep carcasses. The study highlights the role of food animals as reservoirs of pathogens across boundaries since all feed are imported in that population from different parts of the world.

A study using Metarhizium brunneum Petch fungal bands designed to improve delivery of conidia to adult Asian longhorned beetles, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), was conducted to determine how a time delay between exposure to infective conidia and pairing of male and female beetles would affect the ability to successfully transfer lethal doses of conidia to a mate. We measured conidial load at the time of mate pairing (0, 4, 24, 48 h postexposure) and assessed its effect on beetle mortality. Conidial load per beetle decreased across the four sampling times, and there was no effect of beetle sex on conidial load. At all time periods postexposure, beetles that climbed across fungal bands carried enough conidia that at least some of their indirectly exposed mates died of mycosis. For indirectly exposed beetles, mortality decreased significantly as the time delay increased from 0 to 48 h, and this was independent of beetle sex. Median survival time was only 11.5 d for females indirectly exposed immediately after their mate had been exposed, but >3 wk when there was a 48-h delay before pairing. Generally, beetles exposed directly to fungal bands died faster than their indirectly exposed mates. In contrast to the pattern seen for indirectly exposed beetles, beetles exposed directly to fungal bands showed no change in survival times with a delay between exposure and pairing. Median survival times of exposed females and males were generally similar, at 10.5-12.5 d.

Background and objectives-Foodborne illness has been determined to be one of the major limitations to the advancement of world health and with the ease of travel around the world and the increase in trade of food and animal products, the risk has been exacerbated in recent years. It has been proclaimed as one of the high priority issues in the Qatar National Food Security Master Plan. Different estimates of burden of disease consistently indicate a high cost per episode, irrespective of the country where the study is conducted. Bacterial pathogens among the leading causes of foodborne illness are E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria. In an effort to understand the risk of these foodborne pathogens in the retail industry in Qatar, this study investigated the presence of these pathogens among retail products. Methods—Swabs collected from retail items were screened for the presence of different serotypes of these four foodborne pathogens using a combination of bacterial enrichment and real time polymerase chain reaction detection. Most of the samples were pre-cooked and collected from big retail stores in Doha. Specific tests were for E. coli O157:H7, the E. coli genes stx and eae, which are linked to Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), E. coli O26, O111, O121, O45, O103 and O145, Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter jejuni, coli and lari. Results—E. coli O157:H7 was detected among the samples at a rate of 4.2%, E. coli genes stx (26.6%) and eae (26.3%), which are linked to Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) (16.6%), E. coli O26(5.9%), O111(3.5%), O121(1.4%), O45(20.1%), O103(2.1%) and O145(2.1%). These serogroups of E. coli non-O157 are known to be food adulterants and have zero tolerance in the US. In addition, Salmonella spp. were detected in 13.5% of the samples while Listeria monocytogenes were detected in 5.2% of the samples. Conclusions—Although the prevalence for many is low, the higher prevalence of STEC genes and STEC serotype O45 is cause for concern. Shiga toxin producing serotypes are becoming nearly as much of a concern as the more commonly known O157:H7. This demonstrates the importance of properly cooking meat products. Being exposed to foodborne pathogens can increase the risk of chronic gastroenteritis sequelae, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background and Introduction—According to the Food and Agricultural Organization that more than one-third of the population of the world is affected each year by food-borne diseases caused by chemical and biological hazards. Foodsafety has been identified as high priority in the Qatar National Food Security Master Plan. Campylobacter spp. are among the leading causes of foodborne illness and capable of triggering severe gastroenteritis with grave long-term sequelae and serious economic impact such as, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The practice of drinking fresh camel milk, although is a tradition in Qatar, is increasing around the world because of the perceived medicinal value for health in general, diabetes, autism, and allergies. In addition to the fact that camel milk is the closest to human mother's milk, it contains high levels of antioxidants and iron. Being a fresh product it is exposed o foodborne pathogens including Campylobacter spp. Understanding the pathway by which this hazard enter the food chain and pose risk to human will help in developing risk mitigation strategies. We carried out a study to assess the potential risk of illness from the consumption of camel milk contaminated with Campylobacter spp. in Qatar and identify critical intervention points that would contribute to mitigating its associated risk. Methods—We used the quantitative risk assessment (QRA) methodology using a combination of deterministic and stochastic approaches to address the stated objectives. The QRA approach helps in identifying stages in the production system from farm-to-table that are likely to play role in mitigating or exacerbating the risk of illness associated with the consumption of contaminated camel milk with this pathogen. Data on the probability of either C. jejuni or C. coli in camel milk or in humans were obtained through repeat cross-sectional studies in these populations. Estimates of the adverse health effects were obtained using risk characterization which integrated data on hazard characterization and exposure assessment, including dose-response model. A Monte Carlo Simulation of inputs in the model was performed using @Risk software (Palisade Software, Newfield, NY, USA) and parameters were obtained using Latin Hypercube sampling. Sensitivity analyses were performed to capture the effect of uncertainty and variability of the different parameters used in the model on the predicted risk of illness. Results—Our preliminary analyses showed that the probability of illness for a healthy female from the consumption of camel milk contaminated with C. jejuni ranged from 5 x 10-3 to 24 x 10-2 depending on the amount of camel milk consumed. However, the risk for male is higher (13 x 10-3 to 30 x 10-2). The estimates of illness are three times higher for immune compromised females consumed fresh camel milk. We also evaluated the risk of illness for immune compromised males that consumed fresh camel milk and it was five-times higher in comparison to healthy men. The risk of illness due to the consumption of camel milk contaminated with either C. jejuni or C. coli could be significantly reduced for either gender by increasing the efficacy of sterilizing the milk by boiling or pasteurization.