Occurrence and characterization of Arcobacter spp. from ready-to-eat vegetables produced in Southern Italy

Given that the number of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to the consumption of ready-to-eat vegetables has been widely documented and considering that data on the occurrence of Arcobacter spp. in such foodstuffs are lacking, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of Arcobacter spp. and the occurrence of virulence factors as well as to genotype Arcobacter spp. in ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable samples, using cultural and biomolecular assays. Arcobacter spp. was detected in 16/110 (14.5%) samples, with A. butzleri being detected in 15/16 and A. cryaerophilus in 1/16 isolates. PCRs aimed at the nine putative virulence genes demonstrated widespread distribution of such genes among A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus isolates. In addition, multilocus sequence type (MLST) analysis revealed a low genetic diversity within the arcobacters isolates. The results underline the need to develop an appropriate surveillance system based on biomolecular characterization for an integrated microbiological risk assessment of ready-toeat vegetables, and consequently of composite foods.

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Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus ST3320 clone causing fatal respiratory infection in rabbits

World Rabbit Science ◽

10.4995/wrs.2021.14280 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 99

Author(s):

Jinxiang Wang ◽

S. Sun ◽

Y. Chen ◽

D. Chen ◽

L. Sang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Respiratory Infection ◽

Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽

Virulence Genes ◽

Clonal Complex ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Sequence Type ◽

Intranasal Infection ◽

Pathological Lesions

Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known pathogen that infects humans and animals. However, information on the fatal respiratory infection in rabbits caused by S. aureus is still limited. In the present study, a S. aureus isolate designated ND01 was recovered from lung samples of rabbits that died of fatal respiratory infection, and the ND01 was characterised by intranasal infection of rabbits, multi-locus sequencing typing, screening virulence genes and testing antimicrobial susceptibility. Clinical signs of matted forepaws and pathological lesions of haemorrhagic tracheitis and necrotising haemorrhagic pneumonia were observed in the ND01 infected rabbits, which were identical to those of naturally infected ones. The sequence type of the ND01 was defined as ST3320 and the ND01 was further grouped into the clonal complex 398. Notably, the ND01 was pvl-positive S. aureus and carried the human-associated scn gene. Moreover, the ND01 was methicillin-susceptible S. aureus and was susceptible to 6 of 10 tested antibiotics. This study described the characteristics of the ND01 causing fatal respiratory infection in rabbits. The results are helpful to further the understanding of the pathogenicity of S. aureus ST3320 clone in rabbits. The results also highlighted that operators must be on the alert for the colonisation of pvl-positive S. aureus in rabbits and potential transmission events between rabbits and humans.

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Characterization of Pasteurella multocida isolated from dead rabbits with respiratory disease in Fujian, China

10.21203/rs.2.12451/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Jinxiang Wang ◽

Lei Sang ◽

Shikun Sun ◽

Yanfeng Chen ◽

Dongjin Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Disease ◽

Pasteurella Multocida ◽

Virulence Genes ◽

Sequence Type ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Resistance Rates ◽

And Control ◽

First Time ◽

Sequence Types

Abstract Background Pasteurella multocida is one of the important pathogens infects rabbits, causing major economic losses in commercial rabbit farming. In this study, 205 P. multocida isolates recovered from lungs of dead rabbits with respiratory disease were defined capsular serogroups, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) genotypes and multi-locus sequence types, screened virulence factors, and tested antimicrobial susceptibility. Results The 205 isolates were assigned into 2 capsular types, A and D, and 2 LPS genotypes, L3 and L6. When combining capsular types with LPS genotypes, 4 serotypes were detected. A:L3 (51.22%, 105/205) was the most predominant serotype, followed by A:L6 (24.88%, 51/205), D:L6 (19.02%, 39/205), and D:L3 (4.88%, 10/205). The 205 isolates were grouped into 3 sequence types, ST10, ST11 and ST12. ST12 (56.10%, 115/205) was the most prevalent sequence type, followed by ST10 (24.88%, 51/205) and ST11 (19.02%, 39/205). In the 205 isolates, the virulence genes of ptfA, fur, hgbB, ompA, ompH and oma87 were positive, whereas the toxA and tbpA genes were negative. Notably, the 156 capsular serogroup A isolates carried pmHAS gene. All the 205 isolates were susceptible to most of the used antibiotics, except for streptomycin, gentamycin, kanamycin and ceftriaxone, and the resistance rates of which were 27.80%, 15.61%, 9.27% and 2.44%, respectively. Conclusions This study, for the first time, described the prevalence and characteristics of P. multocida causing respiratory disease in rabbits in Fujian Province, which might be useful for tracking the epidemic strains and development of efficient vaccines and methods to prevent and control the pathogen.

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Detection and Characterization of the Fimbrial sfp Cluster in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O165:H25/NM Isolates from Humans and Cattle

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.01815-08 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 75 (1) ◽

pp. 64-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Martina Bielaszewska ◽

Rita Prager ◽

Liz Vandivinit ◽

Anne Mï¿½sken ◽

Alexander Mellmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Nucleotide Sequence ◽

Sequence Homology ◽

Virulence Genes ◽

Sequence Type ◽

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli ◽

Diagnostic Utility ◽

Large Plasmid ◽

Pcr Targeting

ABSTRACT The sfp cluster, encoding Sfp fimbriae and located in the large plasmid of sorbitol-fermenting (SF) enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 (pSFO157), has been considered a unique characteristic of this organism. We discovered and then characterized the sfp cluster in EHEC O165:H25/NM (nonmotile) isolates of human and bovine origin. All seven strains investigated harbored a complete sfp cluster (carrying sfpA, sfpH, sfpC, sfpD, sfpJ, sfpF, and sfpG) of 6,838 bp with >99% nucleotide sequence homology to the sfp cluster of SF EHEC O157:NM. The sfp cluster in EHEC O165:H25/NM strains was located in an ∼80-kb (six strains) or ∼120-kb (one strain) plasmid which differed in structure, virulence genes, and sfp flanks from pSFO157. All O165:H25/NM strains belonged to the same multilocus sequence type (ST119) and were only distantly phylogenetically related to SF EHEC O157:NM (ST11). The highly conserved sfp cluster in different clonal backgrounds suggests that this segment was acquired independently by EHEC O165:H25 and SF EHEC O157:NM. Its presence in an additional EHEC serotype extends the diagnostic utility of PCR targeting sfpA as an easy and efficient approach to seek EHEC in patients' stools. The reasons for the convergence of pathogenic EHEC strains on a suite of virulence loci remain unknown.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Characterization of a new metallo-beta-lactamase gene, bla(NDM-1), and a novel erythromycin esterase gene carried on a unique genetic structure in Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 14 from India.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.718490115.793497306 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Virginia L Miller

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽

Sequence Type ◽

Beta Lactamase ◽

Esterase Gene ◽

Lactamase Gene

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Identification and molecular characterization of a novel 55-kb deletion recurrent in southern Italy: the ItalianGγ(Aγδβ)°-thalassemia

European Journal Of Haematology ◽

10.1111/ejh.12066 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 90 (3) ◽

pp. 214-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Giuseppina Lacerra ◽

Romeo Prezioso ◽

Gennaro Musollino ◽

Giulio Piluso ◽

Lucia Mastrullo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molecular Characterization ◽

Southern Italy

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Isolation and characterization of the new SARS-CoV-2 variant in travellers from the United Kingdom to India: VUI-202012/01 of the B.1.1.7 lineage

Journal of Travel Medicine ◽

10.1093/jtm/taab009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pragya D Yadav ◽

Dimpal A Nyayanit ◽

Rima R Sahay ◽

Prasad Sarkale ◽

Jayshri Pethani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Surveillance System ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Isolation And Characterization ◽

New Variant ◽

The Uk ◽

Local Transmission

We have isolated the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 variant of concern 202 012/01 from the positive coronavirus disease 2019 cases that travelled from the UK to India in the month of December 2020. This emphasizes the need for the strengthened surveillance system to limit the local transmission of this new variant.

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