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As the human population grows, an increase in food trade is needed. This elevates the risk of epidemiological outbreaks. One of the prevalent pathogens associated with food production in Mexico has been Salmonella Oranienburg. Effective surveillance systems require microbial genetic knowledge. The objective of this work is to describe the genetic composition of Mexican S. Oranienburg genomes. For that, 53 strains from different environmental sources were isolated and sequenced. Additionally, 109 S. Oranienburg genomes were downloaded. Bioinformatic analyses were used to explore the clonal complex and genomic relatedness. A major clonal group formed by ST23 was identified comprising four STs. 202 SNPs were found the maximum difference among isolates. Virulence genes for host invasion and colonization as rpoS, fimbria type 1, and, T3SS were found common for all isolates. This study suggests that Mexican S. Oranienburg strains are potential pathogens circulating continuously in the region between host and non-host environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne illnesses, mainly bacteria, are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Pathogenic bacteria are involved in almost every step within the fresh produce chain compromising the companies' food safety programs and generating an ascending number of foodborne outbreaks in various regions of the world. Recently, bacteriophages return to the status of biocontrol agents. These bacteria-killing viruses are able to reduce or eliminate pathogenic bacterial load from raw and ready to eat foods. Phages are efficient, strain specific, easy to isolate and manipulate, and for that reasons, they have been used in pre and post harvest processes alone or mixed with antimicrobial agents for biocontrolling pathogenic bacteria. In this review, we focused on the feasibility of using lytic bacteriophage on fresh fruits and vegetables industry, considering challenges and perspectives mainly at industrial production level (packinghouses, supermarkets), where high volume of phage preparations and consequently high costs may be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighty Holstein calves born in a dairy farm with good management practices were used to evaluate the effect of treatments on calf-starter intake, growth rate, and incidence of gastrointestinal disorders during the first 30 days of birth. Calves were fed during first 6-h of birth with 4L of with unheated (RAW) or pasteurized (PST, pasteurized during 60 min at 60 °C) colostrum (IgG>50 g/L), followed by supplementation with or without symbiotic glyconutrients (GLY) dosed at 5 g/calve/day in the liquid diet consisting of 4 L/d of unsaleable raw whole milk during all the study. Treatments were: 1) RAW, 2) PST, 3) RAW + GLY, and 4) PST + GLY. All calves had >5.5 g/dL of total serum protein read at 12 hours of birth. Calves were assigned to individual cages. All animals had ad libitum access to water and chopped high-quality alfalfa hay, from the fourth day, calf-starter was offered ad libitum. There was no mortality nor infectious diarrhea during the experiment. Pasteurization did not affect the quality (density, pH, and IgG concentration) of colostrum. The overall noninfectious diarrhea frequency was 53.7%. A lower diarrhea frequency was noted to calves that were fed with PST when compared to RAW treatments (45 vs. 62.5%) without differences in the number of times (1.05 vs. 1.26) needed to receive treatment to stop diarrhea. Supplemental GLY did not influence the reduction of diarrhea frequency and did not improve performance. Colostrum pasteurization increased (P<0.05) starter intake by 28.5%, the average daily gain by 35.8%, and live weight change of 9.6%. We concluded that offering pasteurized colostrum during the first hours of life is a positive strategy to increase starter intake and growth during the first 30 days of birth in rearing calves. On the other hand, using the mixture of symbiotic/glyconutrients as feed additive did not show any advantage when offered in this type of farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Salmonella enterica is known for its disease-causing serotypes, including Montevideo and Pomona. These serotypes have been found in various environments, including river water, sediments, food, and animals. However, the global spread of these serotypes has increased, leading to many reported infections and outbreaks. The goal of this study was the genomic analysis of 48 strains of S . Montevideo and S . Pomona isolated from different sources, including clinical. Results showed that environmental strains carried more antibiotic resistance genes than the clinical strains, such as genes for resistance to aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, and sulfonamides. Additionally, the type 4 secretion system, was only found in environmental strains. .Also many phosphotransferase transport systems were identified and the presence of genes for the alternative pathway Entner-Doudoroff. The origin of isolation may have a significant impact on the ability of Salmonella isolates to adapt and survive in different environments, leading to genomic flexibility and a selection advantage.

Importance: Bovine mastitis, predominantly associated with gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus , poses a significant threat to dairy cows, leading to a decline in milk quality and volume with substantial economic implications., Objective: This study investigated the incidence, virulence, and antibiotic resistance of S. aureus associated with mastitis in dairy cows., Methods: Fifty milk-productive cows underwent a subclinical mastitis diagnosis, and the S. aureus strains were isolated. Genomic DNA extraction, sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis were performed, supplemented by including 124 S. aureus genomes from cows with subclinical mastitis to enhance the overall analysis., Results: The results revealed a 42% prevalence of subclinical mastitis among the cows tested. Genomic analysis identified 26 sequence types (STs) for all isolates, with Mexican STs belonging primarily to CC1 and CC97. The analyzed genomes exhibited multidrug resistance to phenicol, fluoroquinolone, tetracycline, and cephalosporine, which are commonly used as the first line of treatment. Furthermore, a similar genomic virulence repertoire was observed across the genomes, encompassing the genes related to invasion, survival, pathogenesis, and iron uptake. In particular, the toxic shock syndrome toxin ( tss-1 ) was found predominantly in the genomes isolated in this study, posing potential health risks, particularly in children., Conclusion and Relevance: These findings underscore the broad capacity for antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity by S. aureus , compromising the integrity of milk and dairy products. The study emphasizes the need to evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotics in combating S. aureus infections., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.)

Salmonella remains the leading cause of foodborne infections globally. Environmental reservoirs, particularly aquatic bodies, serve as conduits for the fecal-oral transmission of this pathogen. While the gastrointestinal tract is traditionally considered the primary habitat of Salmonella, mounting evidence suggests the bacterium's capacity for survival in external environments. The application of advanced technological platforms, such as next-generation sequencing, facilitates a comprehensive analysis of Salmonella's genomic features. This study aims to characterize the genomic composition of Salmonella isolates from river water, contributing to a potential paradigm shift and advancing public health protection. A total of 25 river water samples were collected and processed, followed by microbiological isolation of Salmonella strains, which were then sequenced. Genomic characterization revealed adaptive mechanisms, including gene duplication. Furthermore, an open pangenome, predisposed to incorporating foreign genetic material, was identified. Notably, antibiotic resistance genes were found to be part of the core genome, challenging previous reports that placed them in the accessory genome., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.)

Objective: The aim of this work was to analyze the metadata of the SARS-CoV-2 sequences obtained from samples collected in Mexico from 2020 to 2022., Materials and Methods: Metadata of SARS-CoV-2 sequences from samples collected in Mexico up to 31 December 2022 was retrieved from GISAID and manually cured for interpretation., Results: As of December 2022, Mexican health authorities and the scientific community have sequenced up to 81,983 SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes deposited in GISAID, representing 1.1% of confirmed cases. The number of sequences obtained per state corresponded to the gross domestic product (GDP) of each state for the first (Mexico City) and the last (Tlaxcala). Approximately 25% of the sequences were obtained from CoViGen-Mex, an interdisciplinary initiative of health and scientific institutions to collect and sequence samples nationwide. The metadata showed a clear dominance of sequences retrieved by women. A similar variant distribution over time was found in Mexico and overseas, with the Omicron variant predominating. Finally, the age group with the highest representation in the sequences was adults aged 21 to 50 years, accounting for more than 50% of the total., Conclusions: Mexico presents diverse sociodemographic and economic characteristics. The COVID-19 pandemic has been and continues to be a challenge for collaboration across the country and around the world.

Cyclospora cayetanensis is an enteric coccidian parasite responsible for gastrointestinal disease transmitted through contaminated food and water. It has been documented in several countries, mostly with low-socioeconomic levels, although major outbreaks have hit developed countries. Detection methods based on oocyst morphology, staining, and molecular testing have been developed. However, the current MLST panel offers an opportunity for enhancement, as amplification of all molecular markers remains unfeasible in the majority of samples. This study aims to address this challenge by evaluating two approaches for analyzing the genetic diversity of C. cayetanensis and identifying reliable markers for subtyping: core homologous genes and mitochondrial genome analysis. A pangenome was constructed using 36 complete genomes of C. cayetanensis, and a haplotype network and phylogenetic analysis were conducted using 33 mitochondrial genomes. Through the analysis of the pangenome, 47 potential markers were identified, emphasizing the need for more sequence data to achieve comprehensive characterization. Additionally, the analysis of mitochondrial genomes revealed 19 single-nucleotide variations that can serve as characteristic markers for subtyping this parasite. These findings not only contribute to the selection of molecular markers for C. cayetanensis subtyping, but they also drive the knowledge toward the potential development of a comprehensive genotyping method for this parasite., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This research aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs) against clinically and environmentally isolated Salmonella serotypes. Oregano, thyme, and grapefruit EO compounds were identified, and the antimicrobial activity was evaluated against the S. Saintpaul, Oranienburg, and Infantis serotypes. In addition, molecular docking was performed to explore the possible mechanisms between compounds of EOs with microbial enzymes. Thymol was the main compound identified in oregano (44.0%) and thyme (31%) EOs, while d-limonene was present in a greater proportion in grapefruit EO. Oregano EO had the highest antimicrobial activity, followed by thyme and grapefruit EOs. Oregano and thyme EOs illustrated a greater inhibitory capacity to all serotypes, particularly with the environmental S. Saintpaul. Oregano EO presented values of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration of 0.1 μL/mL for all serotypes, while thyme and grapefruit EOs presented MIC values of 0.1 μL/mL for the clinical serotypes S. Infantis and S. Oranienburg, respectively. Molecular docking analysis showed the optimal binding free energies for thymol and carvacrol with glucokinase, ATP-dependent-6-fructokinase, outer membrane porin C, and topoisomerase IV. Our results indicate that these EOs can inhibit clinically and environmentally isolated Salmonella serotypes and can be used as alternatives for developing natural food preservatives., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International.)

Salmonella enterica serotype Oranienburg is a multi-host, ubiquitous, and prevalent Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) in subtropical rivers, particularly in sediments; little studied so far possible the adaptation and establishment of this microorganism based on its genetic content. This study was focused on the first five genomes of S. Oranienburg in sediments through whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and 61 river water genomes isolated in previous studies. Results showed an open pangenome with 5,594 gene clusters (GCs), and the division of their categories showed; 3,303 core genes, 741 persistent genes, 1,282 accessory genes, and 268 unique genes. Additionally, it showed three main subclades within the same serotype and showed a conserved genetic content, suggesting the display of different adaptation strategies to its establishment. Nine genes for antimicrobial resistance were detected: aac (6') - Iy, H-NS, golS, marA, mdsABC, mdtK, and sdiA, and a mutation in the parC gene p. T57S generating a resistance. In addition, virulence genes and pathogenicity islands (SPI's) were analyzed, finding 92 genes and an identity above 80 % in the SPI's 1 to 5, and the centisomes 54 and 63. The environmental strains of S. Oranienburg do not represent a concern as multidrug resistance (MDR) bacterium; however, virulence genes remain a potential health risk. This study contributes to understanding its adaptation to aquatic environments in Mexico., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Vibrio parahaemolyticus causes acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) in farmed shrimp. Due to its damage potential, which could be as high as a 100% mortality rate, bacteriophages have emerged as a promising natural control intervention other than antibiotics, yet multiple roadblocks need to be overcome. In this study, six bacteriophages isolated from seafood samples, seawater, and estuary water in Sinaloa, Mexico, demonstrated a narrow host range among Mexican AHPND-causing V. parahaemolyticus. All bacteriophages are composed of a double-stranded DNA genome with lengths ranging between 43,268 and 57,805 bp. All six phages exhibited latency periods of 10-30 min and burst sizes of 34-168 viral particles per infected cell. The optimal MOI for bacteriophage propagation was 0.01-1. No transfer RNA (tRNA), virulence, or resistance genes were found in either genome, and the life cycle of these phages was classified as virulent by the PhageAI platform. Phylogenetic and comparative genomics analyzes assigned phages M3, C2, M9, and M83 as new species not yet reported within the genus Maculvirus, Autographiviridae family. ALK and CHI phages were assigned as new members of a new genus not yet classified within the subfamily Queuovirinae. The findings highlight the potential of CHI, ALK, M3, C2, M9, and M83 as promising alternatives against AHPND-causing V. parahaemolyticus from Mexico., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue are global severe public health threats. Due to the lack of efficient control methods, alternative approaches to decreasing arboviral transmitted diseases are prioritized to reduce morbidity and mortality in every endemic region. Mosquito midgut bacteria play an essential role in physiological development, fitness, and the arthropods´ vectorial capacity. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are considered a promising biocontrol method by eliminating midgut microbiota that plays an essential role in mosquitoes´ health. Here, we isolate and identify 22 bacteria from mosquito´s midgut belonging to the genera Mesobacillus, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Pantoea, Serratia, and Staphylococcus, mainly. Twelve phages with lytic activity against Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Pantoea were also isolated. All 12 phages showed a double-stranded DNA genome, ranging from 36,790 to 149,913 bp, and were taxonomically classified as members of the Drexlerviridae family, Molineuxvirinae, Studiervirinae, and Vequintavirinae subfamilies. Open reading frames associated with phage structure, packing, host lysis, DNA metabolism, and additional functions were predicted in all 12 phage genomes, while tRNAs were predicted in five phage genomes. In addition, the life cycle was predicted as virulent for the 12 phages, and no antibiotic resistance, virulence, allergenic, or lysogenic genes were found in either genome. These findings suggest that the 12 phages have biocontrol potentials; however, it is necessary to elucidate specific bacterial host's roles and then the phages' ability to serve as effective vector control., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Worldwide, Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and M. synoviae (MS) are the main agents responsible for chronic respiratory disease in poultry. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate their occurrence. We searched electronic databases to find peer-reviewed publications reporting the molecular detection of MG and MS in poultry and used meta-analysis to estimate their pooled global occurrence (combined flock and individual), aggregating results at the regional and national levels. We performed a subgroup meta-analysis for subpopulations (broilers, layers, breeders and diverse poultry including turkeys, ducks and ostriches) and used meta-regression with categorical modifiers. We retrieved 2294 publications from six electronic databases and included 85 publications from 33 countries that reported 62 studies with 22,162 samples for MG and 48 studies with 26,413 samples for MS. The pooled global occurrence was 38.4% (95% CI: 23.5-54.5) for MS and 27.0% (20.4-34.2) for MG. Among regions, Europe and Central Asia had the lowest occurrence for both pathogens, while MG and MS were highly prevalent in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, respectively. At the national level, MG occurrence was higher in Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, whereas China, Egypt and Ethiopia reported higher values of MS. Among the poultry subpopulations, MS and MG were more prevalent in the breeders and layers (62.6% and 31.2%, respectively) than in diverse poultry. The year of publication, the sample size and the level of ambient air pollution (measured indirectly by PM2.5) were associated with the occurrence of both mycoplasmas. Our study revealed high and heterogeneous occurrence values of MG and MS and justifies the need for early detection and improved control measures to reduce the spread of these pathogens., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The survival of Salmonella in subtropical river water depends on genetic and metabolic reorganization for the expression of alternative metabolic pathways in response to starvation, which allows Salmonella to use environmental carbon sources (C-sources). However, knowledge regarding the metabolic plasticity of Salmonella serotypes for C-source utilization when exposed to these conditions remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the metabolic response and level of environmental C-source consumption by environmental Salmonella (Oranienburg and Saintpaul) and clinical Salmonella (Typhi) serotypes by comparing laboratory growth against exposure to river water conditions. Metabolic characterization was performed using a Biolog® EcoPlate TM containing 31 C-sources. The results obtained under laboratory growth conditions showed that environmental serotypes used 74.1% of the C-sources, whereas the clinical serotype used 45.1%. In contrast, in river water, all strains used up to 96.7% of the C-sources. Salmonella exposure to river water increases its capacity to use environmental C-sources.

Here, we present the complete genome sequence of Enterobacter phage vB&#95;EcRAM-01, isolated from waters of the Río Abajo river, in Panama City, Panama. This phage has deployed lytic activity against the Enterobacter cloacae complex, a pathogen of clinical importance in intensive care units. It belongs to the Myoviridae family and has a double-stranded DNA genome that is 178,477 bp long and contains 293 open reading frames (ORFs).

Salmonella enterica is a leading cause of human gastrointestinal disease worldwide. Given that Salmonella is persistent in aquatic environments, this study examined the prevalence, levels and genotypic diversity of Salmonella isolates recovered from major rivers in an important agricultural region in northwestern Mexico. During a 13-month period, a total of 143 river water samples were collected and subjected to size-exclusion ultrafiltration, followed by enrichment, and selective media for Salmonella isolation and quantitation. The recovered Salmonella isolates were examined by next-generation sequencing for genome characterization. Salmonella prevalence in river water was lower in the winter months (0.65 MPN/100 mL) and significantly higher in the summer months (13.98 MPN/100 mL), and a Poisson regression model indicated a negative effect of pH and salinity and a positive effect of river water temperature ( p = 0.00) on Salmonella levels. Molecular subtyping revealed Oranienburg, Anatum and Saintpaul were the most predominant Salmonella serovars. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based phylogeny revealed that the detected 27 distinct serovars from river water clustered in two major clades. Multiple nonsynonymous SNPs were detected in stiA , sivH, and ratA , genes required for Salmonella fitness and survival, and these findings identified relevant markers to potentially develop improved methods for characterizing this pathogen.

Salmonella in the environment have evolved genetically to maintain a stable cell metabolism. Nevertheless, a lack of common nutrients (such as glucose) causes these strains to metabolize alternative carbon sources. In this study, 21 strains of Salmonella Oranienburg isolated from subtropical river water were evaluated to compare their adaptation and preconditioning abilities for the consumption of environmental carbon sources (ECS). The results obtained in this study attributed important biological characteristics to the adaptation of the metabolism of Salmonella strains to diverse ECS; these characteristics include but are not limited to variations in plasticity and natural preconditioning in closely related microorganisms, such as environmental isolates belonging to the serotype Oranienburg.

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) is a life-threatening disease to recently stocked shrimp. This disease is mainly caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus and, to date, it has not been effectively controlled. Bacteriophages are a promising method to control bacterial diseases in aquaculture and multiple phages that infect Asian strains of V. parahaemolyticus have been described. However, few studies have characterized the bacteriophages that infect Latin American strains. Here, two lytic Vibrio phages (vB&#95;VpaP&#95;AL-1 and vB&#95;VpaS&#95;AL-2) were isolated from estuary water in Sinaloa, Mexico. The host ranges were tested using ten AHPND-causing strains isolated from Mexico and phage AL-1 was able to infect two strains while AL-2 infected four. One-step growth curve showed that AL-1 produced 85 PFU/cell and AL-2 produced 68 PFU/cell in 30 and 40 min, respectively. Both phages were able to tolerate temperatures ranging from 20 to 50 °C and pH values ranging from 4 to 10. Phages AL-1 and AL-2 have double-stranded DNA genomes of 42,854 bp and 58,457 bp, respectively. In total, 53 putative ORFs associated with the phage structure, packing, host lysis, DNA metabolism, and additional functions were predicted in the AL-1 genome, while 92 ORFs associated with the same functions as the AL-1 and 1 tRNA were predicted in the AL-2 genome. The lifecycle was classified as virulent for both phages. Morphology, phylogeny, and comparative genomic analyses assigned phage AL-1 as a new member of the genus Maculvirus in the Autographiviridae family, and phage AL-2 as a new member of the Siphoviridae family. These findings suggest that vB&#95;VpaP&#95;AL-1 and vB&#95;VpaS&#95;AL-2 are potential biocontrol agents against AHPND-causing V. parahaemolyticus from Mexico., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mango is highly consumed worldwide; nonetheless, its consumption has been related to foodborne outbreaks. This study was performed to evaluate bacterial transference during mango postharvest management and the feasibility of adopting chlorine dioxide as first choice disinfectant in mango packinghouse. Chlorine dioxide (3 and 5 ppm) and sodium hypochlorite (100 and 200 ppm) were evaluated at different turbidity and times against Salmonella Choleraesuis and Listeria monocytogenes . Bacterial transference was higher from water to fruit than vice-versa (49.17%). Chlorine dioxide (5 ppm) achieved the highest Salmonella reductions at low turbidity reaching 2.13 Log 10 at 10 min; meanwhile, Listeria was totally reduced in all conditions. Bacterial decay kinetic showed that chlorine dioxide 5 ppm was 34-fold faster than sodium hypochlorite at 200 ppm in reducing 1 Log 10 of Salmonella . Chlorine dioxide reached faster bacterial inactivation decay over sodium hypochlorite; its usage is safe and meets the regulatory standards set for mango processing.

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) is a severe disease affecting recently stocked cultured shrimps. The disease is mainly caused by V. parahaemolyticus that harbors the pVA1 plasmid; this plasmid contains the pirA and pirB genes, which encode a delta-endotoxin. AHPND originated in China in 2009 and has since spread to several other Asian countries and recently to Latin America (2013). Many Asian strains have been sequenced, and their sequences are publicly accessible in scientific databases, but only four strains from Latin America have been reported. In this study, we analyzed nine pVA1-harboring V. parahaemolyticus sequences from strains isolated in Mexico along with the 38 previously available pVA1-harboring V. parahaemolyticus sequences and the reference strain RIMD 2210633. The studied sequences were clustered into three phylogenetic clades (Latin American, Malaysian, and Cosmopolitan) through pangenomic and phylogenomic analysis. The nucleotide sequence alignment of the pVA1 plasmids harbored by the Asian and Latin American strains confirmed that the main structural difference in the plasmid between the Asian and Latin American strains is the absence of the Tn3 transposon in the Asian strains; in addition, some deletions in the pirAB region were found in two of the Latin American strains. Our study represents the most robust and inclusive phylogenomic analysis of pVA1-harboring V. parahaemolyticus conducted to date and provides insight into the epidemiology of AHPND. In addition, this study highlights that disease diagnosis through the detection of the pirA and pirB genes is an inadequate approach due to the instability of these genes.

Background: Toxocara spp. is a zoonotic parasite that can infect human; children are the largest group at risk of infection. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and viability of Toxocara spp. eggs in the soil of public parks., Methods: Overall, 1180 soil samples from 236 public parks in four sectors of the city of Culiacan were collected at random, between Jun and Dec, 2013. The presence of Toxocara spp. eggs was determined by light microscopy using a centrifugation-flotation technique and viability by trypan blue staining technique., Results: Of the 236 parks sampled, 18 were positive to Toxocara spp. resulting in a prevalence of 7.6% and viability of 94.4% with a P <0.05. Detection of Toxocara spp.in soil samples was 16.5% and viability 94.7% with a P <0.05. Parks positive to Toxocara spp., had sports fields and playgrounds (94.4%), trees and green areas (88.8%)., Conclusion: Although a low prevalence of Toxoxara spp. eggs in the soil of public parks was found, they exhibited high viability, suggesting that the soil from these public parks is a source of infection for pets and humans especially children., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests., (Copyright© Iranian Society of Parasitology & Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

The buffalo green monkey (BGM) cell line is required for the detection of enteric viruses in biosolids through a total culturable viral assay (TCVA) by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In the present study, BGM and PLC/PRF/5 cell lines were evaluated for TCVA and for their use in determining the incidence of adenoviruses and enteroviruses in raw sludge and Class B biosolids. Six raw sludge and 17 Class B biosolid samples were collected from 13 wastewater treatment plants from seven U.S. states. Samples were processed via organic flocculation and concentrate volumes equivalent to 4 g total solids were assayed on BGM and PLC/PRF/5 cells. Cell monolayers were observed for cytopathic effect (CPE) after two 14-days passages. Cell lysates were tested for the presence of adenoviruses and enteroviruses by PCR or RT-PCR. The PLC/PRF/5 cells detected more culturable viruses than the BGM cells by CPE (73.9% vs. 56.5%, respectively). 52% of the samples were positive for CPE using both cell lines. No viruses were detected in either cell line by PCR in flasks in which CPE was not observed. No adenoviruses were detected in 13 CPE-positive samples from BGM lysates. In contrast, of the 17 samples exhibiting CPE on PLC/PRF/5 cells, 14 were positive for adenoviruses (82.4%). In conclusion, PLC/PRF/5 cells were superior for the detection of adenoviruses in both raw sludge and Class B biosolids. Thus, the use of BGM cells alone for TCVA may underestimate the viral concentration in sludge/biosolid samples.

Haemonchus contortus constitutes a severe problem for ruminant's production, it is the most frequent nematode parasite both in template and tropical regions, induces economical losses, and shows increasing resistance to currently available anthelmintics. Tannins are secondary metabolites that naturally fulfill defense functions in plants, representing a non-conventional, natural alternative in the treatment of gastrointestinal parasites in sheep. The objective of this work was to explore the in vitro anthelmintic activity of hydrolysable tannins on adult stage of Haemonchus contortus. Adults nematodes were obtained directly from the abomasum of ovines, and a dose response curve was performed with tannins extract at 0, 2, 4, 8, 25 and 50 mg/mL, and a time response curve at 0.5, 1, 2 and 24 h at 37 °C. Hydrolysable tannins decreased motility and induced mortality of H. contortus. We observed cuticle disruption around the mouth and reproductive organs, as well as evisceration. After 24 h of exposition, 8 mg/mL induced 83% of mortality and with 25 mg/kg 100% of mortality was achieved. The LD 50 was 3.54 mg/mL, while LD 90 was 10 mg/mL. We propose hydrolysable tannins as an alternative to contribute in the nematode control in ruminants., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Haemonchus contortus is a nematode parasite that establishes in the abomasum of ruminants, it has a cosmopolitan distribution and is a worldwide health problem for livestock. As a first line of defence against parasites, behaviour can help to prevent or fight infection, and may even serve as a method of early presumptive diagnosis. Parasites can affect performance of cattle and cause significant economic losses. The aim of this study was to determine the behavioural and productive changes induced by an experimental infection with H. contortus L3 in bovines. We used 32 dewormed bull calves, randomly divided into two groups, 8 no inoculated controls and 24 that were inoculated with 4000 L3 of H. contortus. Inoculation did not influence haematocrit or haemoglobin values at 0, 28 and 42 days post infection (P> 0.20); however, an increase in the frequency of urination (P = 0.0001) and defecation (P = 0.0001), number of steps (P < 0.001) and self-grooming (P < 0.01) events were observed, even in inoculated animals in which not parasite eggs were found in faeces. During the first 28 days post-inoculation with H. contortus, feedlot performance was not affected (P = 0.16), but during the last 14 days (29-42) inoculated animals gained 15% less weight compared to controls (P = 0.04). Over 42 days, inoculated calves showed a 28% poorer feed efficiency during the 42 days post-inoculation than controls (P < 0.01). Across the experiment, calves inoculated with H. contortus obtained less net energy both for maintenance as for gain from diet (P < 0.01). It is concluded that both, performance and behaviour were modified in feedlot bull-calves parasitized by H. contortus, supporting the practice of deworming when eggs of this parasite are detected in the faeces even in low amounts., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Escherichia coli O157:H7 has become a global public health and a food safety problem. Despite the implementation of control strategies that guarantee the safety in various products, outbreaks persist and new alternatives are necessary to reduce this pathogen along the food chain. Recently, our group isolated and characterised lytic bacteriophages against E. coli O157:H7 with potential to be used as biocontrol agents in food. To this end, phages need certain requirements to allow their manufacture and application. The aim of this study was to determine the physical stability and allergenic potential of free and microencapsulated (ME) bacteriophage cocktails against E. coli O157:H7. In vitro and in vivo studies were performed to determine phage survival under different pH, gastrointestinal conditions, temperature and UV light intensities. Results showed that the stability of ME phages was significantly (P<0.05) higher than free phages after ultraviolet irradiation, pH conditions between 3 to 7, and exposure to temperatures between at -80°C and 70°C. Both formulations were highly sensitive to very low pH in simulated gastric fluid, but stable in bile salts. In vivo studies in mice confirmed these phages passed through the gastrointestinal tract and were excreted in faeces. In silico, full-length alignment analysis showed that all phage proteins were negative for allergenic potential, but different predicting criteria classified seven phage proteins with a very low probability to be an allergen. In conclusion, these data demonstrated that microencapsulation provided a greater stability to phage formulation under stress conditions and assure a more suitable commercial formulation for the biological control of E. coli O157:H7.

Survival of bacterial pathogens in different environments is due, in part, to their ability to form biofilms. Four wild-type Salmonella enterica strains, two Oranienburg and two Saintpaul isolated from river water and animal feces, were tested for biofilm formation at the air-liquid interface under stressful conditions (pH and salinity treatments such as pH 3, NaCl 4.5 w/v; pH 7, NaCl 4.5 w/v; pH 10, NaCl 4.5 w/v; pH 3, Nacl 0.5 w/v; pH 7, NaCl 0.5 w/v; and pH 10, NaCl 0.5 w/v); Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 was used as a control strain. Salmonella Oranienburg and Saintpaul from feces were moderately hydrophobic and motile, while S. Saintpaul from water and the control strain S. Typhimurium showed high hydrophobicity, which helped them form more resistant biofilms than S. Oranienburg. Under stressful conditions, all strains experienced difficulties in forming biofilms. Salmonella Saintpaul and Typhimurium expressed the red dry and rough (RDAR) morphotype and were able to form biofilm at air-liquid interface, contrarily to Oranienburg that showed incomplete rough morphology. This study contributes to the knowledge of biofilm formation as a survival strategy for Salmonella in aquatic environments.

This study was performed to evaluate in vitro the adherence and invasiveness capacity of Salmonella Oranienburg and Saintpaul (isolated from river water) exposed to laboratory and river water growth conditions and inoculated into epithelial HEp-2 cell. Results showed that Salmonella Oranienburg and Salmonella Saintpaul showed lower ability to adhere and invade epithelial HEp-2 cells under both growth conditions as compared to Salmonella Typhimurium reference strain. S. Oranienburg adhesion capacity was not affected by the growth conditions, while S. Saintpaul exposed to river water significantly (p < 0.05) decreased its adhesion capacity by 75.7 %. On the contrary, S. Oranienburg exposed to river water reduced its invasion efficiency by 80 %, whereas S. Saintpaul showed no differences between growth conditions. In conclusion, this study suggests that the exposure to non-host conditions, such as river water, adversely affects the adhesion and invasiveness of Salmonella serotypes differently, impacting on their ability to re-enter a new host.

Long-term exposure to river water by non-indigenous micro-organisms such as Salmonella may affect metabolic adaptation to carbon sources. This study was conducted to determine differences in carbon source utilization of Salmonella Oranienburg and Salmonella Saintpaul (isolated from tropical river water) as well as the control strain Salmonella Typhimurium exposed to laboratory, river water, and host cells (Hep-2 cell line) growth conditions. Results showed that Salmonella Oranienburg and Salmonella Saintpaul showed better ability for carbon source utilization under the three growth conditions evaluated; however, S. Oranienburg showed the fastest and highest utilization on different carbon sources, including D-Glucosaminic acid, N-acetyl-D-Glucosamine, Glucose-1-phosphate, and D-Galactonic acid, while Salmonella Saintpaul and S. Typhimurium showed a limited utilization of carbon sources. In conclusion, this study suggests that environmental Salmonella strains show better survival and preconditioning abilities to external environments than the control strain based on their plasticity on diverse carbon sources use.

Objective: In developing countries, rural communities often face the lack of potable water infrastructure and must rely on untreated sources for drinking, which are often contaminated with waterborne pathogens. The use of home water treatment devices is seen as one means of reducing the risk of exposure to waterborne pathogens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological and physicochemical performance of a simple in-home point-of-use device based on gravity ultrafiltration through an ultrafilter membrane., Methods: Twenty-five randomly selected households from 2 rural communities in Culiacán, Mexico, were enrolled. Water samples were collected before and after treatment and during storage for a period of 8 weeks. Heterotrophic bacteria, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Giardia spp were quantified, as well as various physicochemical parameters., Results: All of the untreated water samples contained high levels of indicator bacteria, but none were detected in the treated water fulfilling the requirements set by the Mexican Norm (NOM-127-SSA1-1994) and the World Health Organization guidelines for drinking water. However, indicator bacteria (fecal coliforms and E coli) were detected in every sample from water stored 24 hours after treatment., Conclusion: This study demonstrated that point-of-use filters using gravity-fed ultrafilters are a low-cost, effective water treatment technology for water of poor microbial quality. However, further identification of the sources and mechanisms by which water is contaminated when stored after treatment will help with designing and implementing better strategies for keeping water safe for domestic use., (Copyright © 2016 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Lytic bacteriophages have reemerged as an alternative for the control of pathogenic bacteria. However, the effective use of phage relies on appropriate genomic characterization. In this study, we report the genome of bacteriophage Av-05 and its sequence analysis, which has strong lytic activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains and several Salmonella serotypes. The analysis revealed that the phage Av-05 genome consists of 120,938 bp, containing 209 putative open reading frames (ORFs) and 9 tRNAs., (Copyright © 2015 Amarillas et al.)

Listeriosis is caused by Listeria monocytogenes, an important food-borne disease due to its clinical forms, high mortality rate, and the economic impact in both clinical and food production industries. In Mexico, the lack of epidemiological surveillance systems leads to the need of accurate data on the incidence of listeriosis and its association with food-borne disease. In this paper, we present data about the presence of this bacterium in food, reports related to clinical cases of listeriosis, and information of diseases in which L. monocytogenes may be involved. However, in most of these cases the etiology was not established. Given this, there's a need to inform and warn the appropriate entities, to define strategies for the mandatory search of L. monocytogenes through the whole food production chain and clinical suspects, for the epidemiological importance and control of listeriosis in Mexico.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic enteric pathogens associated with human gastroenteritis worldwide. Cattle and small ruminants are important animal reservoirs of STEC. The present study investigated animal reservoirs for STEC in small rural farms in the Culiacan Valley, an important agricultural region located in Northwest Mexico. A total of 240 fecal samples from domestic animals were collected from five sampling sites in the Culiacan Valley and were subjected to an enrichment protocol followed by either direct plating or immunomagnetic separation before plating on selective media. Serotype O157:H7 isolates with the virulence genes stx2, eae, and ehxA were identified in 40% (26/65) of the recovered isolates from cattle, sheep and chicken feces. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis grouped most O157:H7 isolates into two clusters with 98.6% homology. The use of multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) differentiated isolates that were indistinguishable by PFGE. Analysis of the allelic diversity of MLVA loci suggested that the O157:H7 isolates from this region were highly related. In contrast to O157:H7 isolates, a greater genotypic diversity was observed in the non-O157 isolates, resulting in 23 PFGE types and 14 MLVA types. The relevant non-O157 serotypes O8:H19, O75:H8, O111:H8 and O146:H21 represented 35.4% (23/65) of the recovered isolates. In particular, 18.5% (12/65) of all the isolates were serotype O75:H8, which was the most variable serotype by both PFGE and MLVA. The non-O157 isolates were predominantly recovered from sheep and were identified to harbor either one or two stx genes. Most non-O157 isolates were ehxA-positive (86.5%, 32/37) but only 10.8% (4/37) harbored eae. These findings indicate that zoonotic STEC with genotypes associated with human illness are present in animals on small farms within rural communities in the Culiacan Valley and emphasize the need for the development of control measures to decrease risks associated with zoonotic STEC.

Four phages isolated from cattle and poultry feces were analyzed for their ability to lyse Salmonella serotypes and Escherichia coli O157:H7. The phage one-step growth curves, morphology, and genetic characteristics were determined. All phages showed a lytic effect on various Salmonella serotypes and E. coli O157:H7, which lysed at least 70% of the 234 strains tested. The phages had latent periods ranging from 10 to 15 min and generation times of 30 to 45 min, while burst size fluctuated between 154 and 426 PFU/cell. Phages morphology showed isometric and elongated heads and rigid contractile tails, consistent with morphology of the Myoviridae family. Phages' DNA dendrograms showed a distinctive RFLP when digested by HindIII and EcoRV, and SDS-PAGE profile showed distinctive proteins expression as well. In vitro phage challenge showed a total reduction of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium and Saintpaul counts at 2 h, whereas for Salmonella Montevideo a reduction and retardation growth, at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 100, was observed; however, under a MOI of 10 000, no viable cells were detected after 4 h. The wide host ranges of these phages suggested they could be used for simultaneous biocontrol of some Salmonella serotypes and E. coli O157:H7.

The potential health effects of Salmonella found in wastewater residuals is dependent on the exposure of individuals to the organism. This paper provides a risk assessment for human infection from Salmonella due to direct contact with Class B biosolids, and from contact with Class A biosolids following regrowth of Salmonella. In addition, a risk assessment is provided for infection via airborne transport of bioaerosols from Class B biosolids and biosolids in which regrowth had occurred, to off-site communities. Results of the risk characterization imply that the risk of human infection from direct contact with Class B land applied residuals and subsequent ingestion is low. In contrast, the risk from direct contact with Class A residuals following regrowth is greater. Risks from airborne transport of Salmonella via bioaerosols away from a Class B land application site are also low. However, once again the risk from aerosols resulting from biosolids in which regrowth had occurred was greater. Based on these analyses, we conclude that it is highly unlikely that Salmonella infections will occur from land applied Class A or B residuals. However, risks become significant if Class A biosolids are stored anaerobically i.e. saturated, prior to land application., (Copyright IWA Publishing 2008.)

Irrigation water can serve as a vehicle for transporting pathogenic microorganisms, and numerous cases of bacterial infections from consumption of irrigated fresh produce have been reported in recent years. Chlorine-based disinfectants applied when produce is packed are widely used to control microorganisms. When applied properly, the chlorine products are effective. However, hazardous disinfection breakdown products can be formed, and chlorine disinfectants have high oxidant activity that can affect produce quality and pose a risk to food handlers. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) are a disinfectant alternative for the washing of fruits and vegetables. They can control a great number of microorganisms, have low toxicity when used at recommended doses, and are stable in storage. The purpose of this work was to assess the disinfectant activity of QACs against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus under worst-case and average-case turbidity conditions, (2 and 100 nephelometric units); two disinfectant concentrations (100 and 200 mg/L; and two contact times (30 and 120 seconds). Our research showed that QACs were effective against both bacteria. The percentage reduction of Escherichia coli was significantly higher in the less turbid solution (P = 0.027), while turbidity did not affect the reduction of Staphylococcus aureus (P > 0.05). E. coli was more resistant to QAC treatment than S. aureus. Based on the data obtained we can conclude that QACs could be an alternative in washing processes of fruits and vegetables.