Austrian results from the monitoring of pesticide residues in food

This dataset contains the analytical results of pesticide residues measured in the food products analysed by the national competent authorities. Pesticide residues resulting from the use of plant protection products on crops that are used for food or feed production may pose a risk factor for public health. For this reason, a comprehensive legislative framework has been established in the European Union (EU), which defines rules for the approval of active substances used in plant protection products, the use of plant protection products and for pesticide residues in food. In order to ensure a high level of consumer protection, legal limits, so called “maximum residue levels” or briefly “MRLs”, are established in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. EU-harmonised MRLs are set for all pesticides covering all types of food products. A default MRL of 0.01 mg/kg is applicable for pesticides not explicitly mentioned in the MRL legislation. Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 imposes on Member States the obligation to carry out controls to ensure that food placed on the market is compliant with the legal limits. A sample is considered free of quantifiable residues if the analytes were not present in concentrations at or above the limit of quantification (LOQ). The LOQ is the smallest concentration of an analyte that can be quantified with the analytical method used to analyse the sample. It is commonly defined as the minimum concentration of the analyte in the test sample that can be determined with acceptable precision and accuracy. If a sample is contains quantifiable residues but within the legally permitted limit (maximum residue level, MRL), it is described as a sample with quantified residue levels within the legal limits (below or at the MRL) A sample is considered non-compliant with the legal limit (MRL), if the measured residue concentrations clearly exceed the legal limits, taking into account the measurement uncertainty. It is current practice that the uncertainty of the analytical measurement is taken into account before legal or administrative sanctions are imposed on food business operators for infringement of the MRL [email protected]

Assessment of the risk of human exposure to Brucella spp.

The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) was asked by the Federal Ministry of Health to assess the risk of human exposure to Brucella spp. through consumption of dairy products made from raw and pasteurised milk. According to Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 raw milk from animals showing a positive reaction to the prophylactic tests vis-à-vis brucellosis must not be used for human consumption. However, milk from officially brucellosis free herds may be consumed or further processed before an infection with brucelllosis is suspected. Therefore, assuming the organism is present in raw milk, survival of Brucella spp. was assessed in dairy products made from pasteurised milk and products made from raw milk, in which no heat, physical or chemical treatment was applied. Pathogenic organism are usually not destroyed in milk heated to a maximum of 40°C during the production of raw milk cheeses. Hence, an infection with Brucella through consumption of unpasteurised milk and dairy products especially soft cheeses cannot be excluded. The production conditions and the ripening time of hard cheeses, however, were described to destroy Brucella. Therefore, a risk to consumers from hard cheeses made from raw milk appears to be unlikely. Absolute safety however cannot be guaranteed. Present milk pasteurisation standards provide sufficient protection to the consumer when the organism is present in raw milk. The risk of infection through the consumption of pasteurised milk and dairy products is negligible. It was concluded that the consumption of pasteurised milk and derived products does not pose a health risk to consumers. A possible risk associated with the consumption of raw milk and derived products is considered to be low, but cannot be excluded, especially for soft cheeses made from raw milk

Assessment of the results of the Austrian residue control plan 2014

Monitoring of meat, milk, eggs and honey for residues of veterinary drugs and hormones is performed in Austria on the basis of a National Residue Control Plan (NRKP). The principal aims of the NRKP are to detect illegal use of prohibited or non-approved substances and to check that approved drugs are used lawfully. Furthermore, levels of various environmental contaminants are recorded (pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins etc.)

Dietary Intake of Cadmium based on Austrian Data of the years 2007-2012

Cadmium is a heavy metal found as an environmental contaminant. It is ubiquitous due to natural erosion, volcanism und emissions from industrial sources. For the non-smoking population the main source of cadmi-um is food. It has a very long half-life ranging from 10 – 30 years and it accumulates especially in the kid-ney. Over time Cadmium may cause renal dysfunction and bone demineralisation. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified cadmium as a human carcinogen Group 1, which means car-cinogenic to humans. The EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (European Food Safety Authority) established a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 2.5 µg/kg body weight. In 2007 – 2012 the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) analysed Cadmium in 4067 food samples from retail sources in Austria. Basic foods of plant origin such as grains, leaf vegetables and pota-toes had an average concentration between 18 – 30 µg/kg. Food supplements, water molluscs, fungi, choco-late (cocoa) products and chocolate were higher contaminated with a mean concentration above 65 µg/kg. Low levels of Cadmium were detected in fruiting vegetables, cow milk and water with mean concentrations below 5 µg/kg. 9 samples of seafood, 8 geese, 1 spinach and 1 horse-radish exceeded the maximum level corresponding Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006. 43 samples, mainly from the food category oilseeds and food for infants and small children, exceeded the official maximum value of tolerable Cadmium concentrations in Austria (“nationalen Aktionswert”). Statistical analyses revealed that leaf vegetables, root vegetables and potatoes had a higher Cadmium con-tent than fruiting- and stem vegetables. Among grains, rye had a lower Cadmium content than other culti-vars and species. In chocolate, a correlation between cocoa amount and Cadmium concentration could be demonstrated. The dietary exposure assessment was performed by combining average concentration of Cadmium with average food consumption data of men, women and children. Grains, potatoes, chocolate and leaf vegeta-bles have been identified as important sources for Cadmium intake. Grains, potatoes and leaf vegetables contribute to Cadmium exposure mainly because of the high consumption, whereas chocolate contributes because of its high cadmium content. “Often it is not the food with the highest cadmium levels, but foods that are consumed in larger quantities that have the greatest impact on cadmium dietary exposure (EFSA, 2012).” EFSA describes bread and rolls, livestock meat, pasta and fruits as important Cadmium sources. In 2007 – 2012 not enough samples have been analysed of these food categories. In the next years analyses of these categories are planned. Cadmium intake from the food categories analysed in Austria 2007-2012 amounts in total to 24% of the TWI in men, 30% of the TWI in women and 33% of the TWI in children. Man and women who are high consum-ers of grains and potatoes exhaust the TWI to 57% and 71% based on the analysed food categories. Chil-dren who consume high amounts of potatoes and chocolate utilize 64% of the TWI. It should be noted, that bread and rolls, livestock meat, pasta and fruits were not included in this calculation and that the analysed food categories only represent a part of food which is consumed from the Austrian population. EFSA, which has covered more food categories, came to the result, that total dietary cadmium intake via food for the European population amounts to 68% of the TWI for adults, to 158% for children, to 124% for high consumer adults and 263% for high consumer children. As already described, some important food categories are not included in this cadmium dietary exposure for the Austrian population. Cadmium concentration data from bread and rolls, pasta, livestock meat and fruits will allow a more precise assessment of the dietary Cadmium exposure in Austria and so the TWI could be higher. A part of these food categories are analysed actually and the rest of it are planned to be analysed in the next years. We recommend a good supply of minerals including ferritin, zinc and calcium especially to women of childbearing age, pregnant and breastfeeding women to reduce cadmium resorption. This risk assessment exclusively analysed the oral intake of cadmium via nutrition, but it should be noted that cigarette smoke makes a very large contribution to cadmium exposure

Comparison of a multiplex PCR with DNA barcoding for identification of container breeding mosquito species

Identification of mosquitoes greatly relies on morphological specification. Since some species cannot be distinguished reliably by morphological methods, it is important to incorporate molecular techniques into the diagnostic pipeline. DNA barcoding using Sanger sequencing is currently widely used for identification of mosquito species. However, this method does not allow detection of multiple species in one sample, which would be important when analysing mosquito eggs. Detection of container breeding Aedes is typically performed by collecting eggs using ovitraps. These traps consist of a black container filled with water and a wooden spatula inserted for oviposition support. Aedes mosquitoes of different species might lay single or multiple eggs on the spatula. In contrast to Sanger sequencing of specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, multiplex PCR protocols targeting specific species of interest can be of advantage for detection of multiple species in the same sample.For this purpose, we adapted a previously published PCR protocol for simultaneous detection of four different Aedes species that are relevant for Austrian monitoring programmes, as they can be found in ovitraps: Aedes albopictus, Aedes japonicus, Aedes koreicus, and Aedes geniculatus. For evaluation of the multiplex PCR protocol, we analysed 2271 ovitrap mosquito samples from the years 2021 and 2022, which were collected within the scope of an Austrian nationwide monitoring programme. We compared the results of the multiplex PCR to the results of DNA barcoding.Of 2271 samples, the multiplex PCR could identify 1990 samples, while species determination using DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene was possible in 1722 samples. The multiplex PCR showed a mixture of different species in 47 samples, which could not be detected with DNA barcoding.In conclusion, identification of Aedes species in ovitrap samples was more successful when using the multiplex PCR protocol as opposed to the DNA barcoding protocol. Additionally, the multiplex PCR allowed us to detect multiple species in the same sample, while those species might have been missed when using DNA barcoding with Sanger sequencing alone. Therefore, we propose that the multiplex PCR protocol is highly suitable and of great advantage when analysing mosquito eggs from ovitraps

First isolation and genotyping of pathogenic Leptospira spp. from Austria

Leptospirosis is a globally distributed zoonotic disease. The standard serological test, known as Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT), requires the use of live Leptospira strains. To enhance its sensitivity and specificity, the usage of locally circulating strains is recommended. However, to date, no local strain is available from Austria. This study aimed to isolate circulating Leptospira strains from cattle in Austria to enhance the performances of the routine serological test for both humans and animals. We used a statistical approach combined with a comprehensive literature search to profile cattle with greater risk of leptospirosis infection and implemented a targeted sampling between November 2021 and October 2022. Urine and/or kidney tissue were sampled from 410 cattle considered at higher risk of infection. Samples were inoculated into EMJH-STAFF culture media within 2-6 h and a real-time PCR targeting the lipL32 gene was used to confirm the presence/absence of pathogenic Leptospira in each sample. Isolates were further characterised by core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST). Nine out of 429 samples tested positive by PCR, from which three isolates were successfully cultured and identified as Leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup Sejroe serovar Hardjobovis, cgMLST cluster 40. This is the first report on the isolation and genotyping of local zoonotic Leptospira in Austria, which holds the potential for a significant improvement in diagnostic performance in the country. Although the local strain was identified as a cattle-adapted serovar, it possesses significant zoonotic implications. Furthermore, this study contributes to a better understanding of the epidemiology of leptospirosis in Europe

Assessment of microbial quality in poultry drinking water on farms in Austria

The quality of poultry drinking water has a significant effect on broiler health and performance. This study conducted an analysis of aerobic mesophilic counts (AMC), Enterobacteriaceae (EB), Pseudomonadaceae (PS), and screened for the presence of Campylobacter spp. in water samples collected from a total of 14 farms in Austria, with either a public or private water source. The efficacy of two water line treatment methods was evaluated: a chemical treatment of the water lines with 4.0 ppm ClO2 (T1) and a combined chemical (4.0 ppm active ClO2 and 3.0% peracetic acid) and mechanical treatment (purging of the water lines with a high-pressure air pump; T2). However, both the T1 and T2 treatments failed to reduce the AMC counts below the maximum acceptable microbial limit of 4.0 log10 CFU/ml in water samples. In addition, no significant reduction in EB and PS counts was observed in water samples after either T1 or T2 water line treatment. The water samples showed a high level of microbial diversity with 18 to 26 different genera. The genus Pseudomonas was most frequently isolated across all poultry farms, while Campylobacter jejuni was identified in a single sample collected before water line treatment. Isolate analysis revealed the presence of opportunistic pathogens in water samples both before (T1 43.1%, T2 30.9%) and after (T1 36.3%, T2 33.3%) water line treatment. Opportunistic pathogens belonging to genera including Pseudomonas spp., Stenotrophomonas spp., and Ochrobactrum spp., were most frequently isolated from poultry drinking water. These isolates exhibited multidrug resistance and resistance phenotypes to antimicrobials commonly used in Austrian poultry farms. The findings of this study emphasize the potential risk of exposure to opportunistic pathogens for poultry and personnel, underscoring the importance of efficient water line management

Network analysis of pig movement data as an epidemiological tool: an Austrian case study

Animal movements represent a major risk for the spread of infectious diseases in the domestic swine population. In this study, we adopted methods from social network analysis to explore pig trades in Austria. We used a dataset of daily records of swine movements covering the period 2015-2021. We analyzed the topology of the network and its structural changes over time, including seasonal and long-term variations in the pig production activities. Finally, we studied the temporal dynamics of the network community structure. Our findings show that the Austrian pig production was dominated by small-sized farms while spatial farm density was heterogeneous. The network exhibited a scale-free topology but was very sparse, suggesting a moderate impact of infectious disease outbreaks. However, two regions (Upper Austria and Styria) may present a higher structural vulnerability. The network also showed very high assortativity between holdings from the same federal state. Dynamic community detection revealed a stable behavior of the clusters. Yet trade communities did not correspond to sub-national administrative divisions and may be an alternative zoning approach to managing infectious diseases. Knowledge about the topology, contact patterns, and temporal dynamics of the pig trade network can support optimized risk-based disease control and surveillance strategies

Detection of mcr-1-1 Positive Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolates Associated with Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in an Organic Piglet-Producing Farm in Austria

Postweaning diarrhoea (PWD) is a frequent multifactorial disease occurring in swine stocks worldwide. Since pathogenic Escherichia (E.) coli play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of PWD and porcine E. coli are often resistant to different antibiotics, colistin is frequently applied to treat piglets with PWD. However, the application of colistin to livestock has been associated with the emergence of colistin resistance. This case report describes the detection of the colistin resistance gene mcr-1-1 in two E. coli isolated from piglets with PWD in an Austrian organic piglet-producing farm, which was managed by two farmers working as nurses in a hospital. Both mcr-1-positive E. coli were further analysed by Illumina short-read-sequencing, including assemblies and gene prediction. Both isolates belonged to the same clonal type and were positive for eaeH and espX5, which are both virulence genes associated with enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). Due to the detection of mcr-1-positive EPEC and based on the results of the antimicrobial resistance testing, the veterinarian decided to apply gentamicin for treatment instead of colistin, leading to improved clinical signs. In addition, after replacing faba beans with whey, PWD was solely observed in 2/10 weaned batches in the consecutive months

Seasonal dynamics of soil microbial growth, respiration, biomass, and carbon use efficiency in temperate soils

Soil microbial growth, respiration, and carbon (C) use efficiency (CUE) are essential parameters to understand, describe and model the soil carbon cycle. While seasonal dynamics of microbial respiration are well studied, little is known about how microbial growth and CUE change over the course of a year, especially outside the plant growing season. In this study, we measured soil microbial respiration, gross growth via 18O incorporation into DNA, and biomass in an agricultural field and a deciduous forest 16 times over the course of two years. We sampled soils to a depth of 5 cm from plots at which harvest residues or leaf litter remained on the plot or was removed. We observed strong seasonal variations of microbial respiration, growth, and biomass. All these microbial parameters were significantly higher at the forest site, which contained 4.3 % organic C compared to the agricultural site with 0.9 % organic C. CUE also varied strongly (0.1 to 0.7) but was overall significantly higher at the agricultural site compared to the forest site. We found that microbial respiration and to a lesser extent microbial growth followed the seasonal dynamics of soil temperature. Microbial growth was further affected by the presence of plants in the agricultural system or foliage in the forest. At low temperatures in winter, both microbial respiration and gross growth showed the lowest rates, whereas CUE (calculated from both respiration and growth) showed amongst the highest values determined during the two years, due to the higher temperature sensitivity of microbial respiration. Microbial biomass C strongly increased in winter. Surprisingly, this winter peak was not connected to high microbial growth or an increase in DNA content. This suggests that microorganisms accumulated C and N, potentially in the form of osmo- or cryoprotectants or increased in cell size but did not divide. This microbial winter bloom and following decline, where C is released from microbial biomass and freely available, might constitute a highly dynamic time in the annual C cycle in temperate soil systems. Highly variable CUE, which was observed in our study, and the fact that CUE is calculated from independently controlled microbial respiration and microbial growth, ask for great caution when CUE is used to describe soil microbial physiology, soil C dynamics or C sequestration. Instead, microbial respiration, microbial growth, and microbial biomass C should be investigated individually in combination to better understand the soil C cycle