Detection and quantification of Campylobacter spp. in Brazilian poultry processing plants

Introduction: Campylobacteriosis is considered the most common bacteria-caused human gastroenteritis in the world. Poultry is a major reservoir of Campylobacter. Human infection may occur by consumption of raw and undercooked poultry or by contamination of other foods by these items. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry processing plants with conventional culture method and real-time PCR. Methodology: A total of 108 poultry processing plant samples were collected to test with conventional microbiology and qPCR. Sampling included cloacal swabs, swabs of transport crates (before and after the cleaning and disinfection process) and carcasses (after the chiller, cooled at 4°C and frozen at −12°C). Results: Positivity in cloacal swabs indicated that poultry arrived contaminated at the slaughterhouse. Contamination in transport cages was substantially increased after the cleaning process, indicating that the process was ineffective. The detection of Campylobacter on carcasses was higher than that on cloacal swabs, which could indicate cross-contamination during the slaughtering process. Conventional microbiology and molecular methods revealed a prevalence of 69.4% and 43.5%, respectively. Lower detection by qPCR can be attributed to the high specificity of the kit and to biological components that could inhibit PCR reactions. Conclusions: Our results indicate that poultry arrive contaminated at the slaughterhouse and that contamination can increase during the slaughtering process due to cross-contamination. The isolation of Campylobacter in cooled and frozen carcasses corroborates the bacterial survival even at temperatures considered limiting to bacterial growth which are routinely used for food preservation

Campylobacter jejuni AND Campylobacter coli IN CHILLED AND FROZEN CHICKEN CARCASSES

Species of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. are agents of campylobacteriosis outbreaks in humans, and poultry products are implicated as major sources of infection. The detection of Campylobacter spp. was performed by conventional microbiology in poultry carcasses collected in slaughterhouses and species were identifiied by multiplex-PCR. Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. was verified in 63.8% of the samples, being 72.2% in chilled carcasses and 55.5% in frozen carcasses. Of these, 83.3% were positive for C. jejuni and 66.6% to C. coli, while 50% were positive for both. The presence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in ready-to-eat poultry products represents a potential source of human campylobacteriosis. Keywords: campylobacteriosis; poultry slaughterhouses; thermophilic bacteria

Campylobacter jejuni e Campylobacter coli EM CARCAÇAS DE FRANGO RESFRIADAS E CONGELADAS

Espécies de Campylobacter spp. termotolerantes são agentes de surtos de campilobacteriose em humanos e os produtos de origem avícola são considerados uma importante fonte de infecção. Foram identificados Campylobacter jejuni e Campylobacter coli em carcaças de frango resfriadas e congeladas coletadas em três abatedouros entre 2014 e 2015. A detecção de Campylobacter spp. foi realizada por microbiologia convencional e a identificação de C. jejuni e C. coli por multiplex-PCR. Dentre as amostras avaliadas verificou-se Campylobacter spp. termotolerante em 63,8%, sendo 72,2% em carcaças resfriadas e 55,5% em carcaças congeladas. Destas, 83,3% foram positivas para C. jejuni e 66,6% para C. coli, enquanto 50% foram positivas para ambas as espécies. A presença de Campylobacter spp. termotolerante em carcaças de frangos de corte prontas para consumo representa uma importante fonte de transmissão destes patógenos para humanos.Palavras-chave: abatedouros avícolas; campilobacteriose; termotolerantes

Economic losses associated with Wooden Breast and White Striping in broilers

Currently, two defects in poultry breasts termed Wooden Breast (WB) and White Striping (WS) have been reported in slaughterhouses. These defects may be associated with the accelerated growth of the birds, management, density in the aviary, and both weight and age at slaughter. Although the health of the affected birds is not impaired, these myopathies cause carcass condemnation and economic losses to slaughterhouses, since the breasts of these chickens, considered to be prime cuts in the poultry industry, have to be discarded. This paper reports on the economic losses and factors associated with carcass condemnation caused by white striping (WS) and wooden breast (WB) in broilers from a federally inspected slaughterhouse. Twelve flocks, totaling 207,000 slaughtered broilers, were assessed as to weight and age at slaughter, and stocking density and carcass condemnations due to these two myopathies were also evaluated. Economic losses were estimated by the price of poultry breast at the firm level, around U$19,12 per kilo, amounting to daily losses of up to U$ 70,632.00, given that approximately 0.8% of the chicken breasts were condemned. Heavier broilers had a larger condemnation rate due to WS and WB, and so did those reared at a smaller density, due probably to their better access to water and feed, which contributed to weight gain and consequent condemnation, resulting in losses that could affect the entire poultry sector

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data

Effects of pre‐operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery: an international prospective cohort study

We aimed to determine the impact of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery during the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We performed an international prospective cohort study including patients undergoing elective surgery in October 2020. Isolation was defined as the period before surgery during which patients did not leave their house or receive visitors from outside their household. The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary complications, adjusted in multivariable models for measured confounders. Pre-defined sub-group analyses were performed for the primary outcome. A total of 96,454 patients from 114 countries were included and overall, 26,948 (27.9%) patients isolated before surgery. Postoperative pulmonary complications were recorded in 1947 (2.0%) patients of which 227 (11.7%) were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients who isolated pre-operatively were older, had more respiratory comorbidities and were more commonly from areas of high SARS-CoV-2 incidence and high-income countries. Although the overall rates of postoperative pulmonary complications were similar in those that isolated and those that did not (2.1% vs 2.0%, respectively), isolation was associated with higher rates of postoperative pulmonary complications after adjustment (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05-1.36, p = 0.005). Sensitivity analyses revealed no further differences when patients were categorised by: pre-operative testing; use of COVID-19-free pathways; or community SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications increased with periods of isolation longer than 3 days, with an OR (95%CI) at 4-7 days or >= 8 days of 1.25 (1.04-1.48), p = 0.015 and 1.31 (1.11-1.55), p = 0.001, respectively. Isolation before elective surgery might be associated with a small but clinically important increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Longer periods of isolation showed no reduction in the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. These findings have significant implications for global provision of elective surgical care

Changes in surgicaL behaviOrs dUring the CoviD-19 pandemic. The SICE CLOUD19 Study

BACKGROUND: The spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus, which causes COVID-19 disease, profoundly impacted the surgical community. Recommendations have been published to manage patients needing surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey, under the aegis of the Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery, aims to analyze how Italian surgeons have changed their practice during the pandemic.METHODS: The authors designed an online survey that was circulated for completion to the Italian departments of general surgery registered in the Italian Ministry of Health database in December 2020. Questions were divided into three sections: hospital organization, screening policies, and safety profile of the surgical operation. The investigation periods were divided into the Italian pandemic phases I (March-May 2020), II (June-September 2020), and III (October-December 2020).RESULTS: Of 447 invited departments, 226 answered the survey. Most hospitals were treating both COVID-19-positive and -negative patients. The reduction in effective beds dedicated to surgical activity was significant, affecting 59% of the responding units. 12.4% of the respondents in phase I, 2.6% in phase II, and 7.7% in phase III reported that their surgical unit had been closed. 51.4%, 23.5%, and 47.8% of the respondents had at least one colleague reassigned to non-surgical COVID-19 activities during the three phases. There has been a reduction in elective (>200 procedures: 2.1%, 20.6% and 9.9% in the three phases, respectively) and emergency (<20 procedures: 43.3%, 27.1%, 36.5% in the three phases, respectively) surgical activity. The use of laparoscopy also had a setback in phase I (25.8% performed less than 20% of elective procedures through laparoscopy). 60.6% of the respondents used a smoke evacuation device during laparoscopy in phase I, 61.6% in phase II, and 64.2% in phase III. Almost all responders (82.8% vs. 93.2% vs. 92.7%) in each analyzed period did not modify or reduce the use of high-energy devices.CONCLUSION: This survey offers three faithful snapshots of how the surgical community has reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic during its three phases. The significant reduction in surgical activity indicates that better health policies and more evidence-based guidelines are needed to make up for lost time and surgery not performed during the pandemic