A Case Report of a Botulism Outbreak in Beef Cattle Due to the Contamination of Wheat by a Roaming Cat Carcass: From the Suspicion to the Management of the Outbreak

We report a botulism outbreak in Charolais cattle fed with wheat flour contaminated by Clostridium botulinum type C and the management of the outbreak at each step from the clinical suspicion to the cleaning and disinfection operations. Diagnosis was based on typical suggestive clinical signs and detection of C. botulinum type C using real-time PCR in samples collected from three young affected bulls. All young exposed bulls and cows (18 animals) eventually died, but three young bulls and one cow were recovering when it was decided to euthanize them. C. botulinum type C was detected in the liver of these four animals. Analysis of the ration components demonstrated that wheat flour, wheat, and the mill used to make flour were positive for C. botulinum type C. A dead cat positive for C. botulinum type C was discovered in the silo where wheat grain was stored and was considered the source of contamination. The cat’s entire body was found mummified, well preserved, and not rotting in the silo. Specific measures, in particular, vaccination of the rest of the herd and cleaning and disinfection operations, were implemented to prevent any recurrence of the outbreak. The presence of wild animal carcasses in feed harboring anaerobic conditions like silage, in particular during harvesting, are known to be at risk for the initiation of a botulism outbreak. This outbreak is a reminder that the presence of an animal carcass in feed, regardless of the kind of feed and whenever the contamination occurs, either during harvesting or storage, is sufficient to induce a botulism outbreak

Contribution of omics to biopreservation: Toward food microbiome engineering

Biopreservation is a sustainable approach to improve food safety and maintain or extend food shelf life by using beneficial microorganisms or their metabolites. Over the past 20 years, omics techniques have revolutionised food microbiology including biopreservation. A range of methods including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and meta-omics derivatives have highlighted the potential of biopreservation to improve the microbial safety of various foods. This review shows how these approaches have contributed to the selection of biopreservation agents, to a better understanding of the mechanisms of action and of their efficiency and impact within the food ecosystem. It also presents the potential of combining omics with complementary approaches to take into account better the complexity of food microbiomes at multiple scales, from the cell to the community levels, and their spatial, physicochemical and microbiological heterogeneity. The latest advances in biopreservation through omics have emphasised the importance of considering food as a complex and dynamic microbiome that requires integrated engineering strategies to increase the rate of innovation production in order to meet the safety, environmental and economic challenges of the agri-food sector

Contribution of omics to biopreservation: Toward food microbiome engineering

International audienceBiopreservation is a sustainable approach to improve food safety and maintain or extend food shelf life by using beneficial microorganisms or their metabolites. Over the past 20 years, omics techniques have revolutionised food microbiology including biopreservation. A range of methods including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and meta-omics derivatives have highlighted the potential of biopreservation to improve the microbial safety of various foods. This review shows how these approaches have contributed to the selection of biopreservation agents, to a better understanding of the mechanisms of action and of their efficiency and impact within the food ecosystem. It also presents the potential of combining omics with complementary approaches to take into account better the complexity of food microbiomes at multiple scales, from the cell to the community levels, and their spatial, physicochemical and microbiological heterogeneity. The latest advances in biopreservation through omics have emphasised the importance of considering food as a complex and dynamic microbiome that requires integrated engineering strategies to increase the rate of innovation production in order to meet the safety, environmental and economic challenges of the agri-food sector