Ecological Distribution of Virulent Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Livestock, Environment, and Dairy Products

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common causes of mastitis, leading to severe economic losses in the dairy industry. It is also zoonotic, with potential risks to public health. This study aimed to detect the occurrence of S. aureus-resistant strains isolated from cattle, buffalo, their environment, milk and dairy products; and to investigate the extent of animal, ecological, and food contamination by methicillin-resistant (MRSA) or enterotoxigenic S. aureus. Samples (n = 350) were collected from four animal (two cattle and two buffalo) farms, i.e., their environment. Thirty Karish cheese samples were collected from 10 markets in Mansoura, Egypt. S. aureus was detected in 17.9%, 17.6%, and 16.7% of samples collected from cattle, buffalo and Karish cheese, respectively. About 19% of isolated S. aureus strains carried the mecA gene. The distribution of the mecA gene was high in isolates from Karish cheese (60%), followed by samples collected from buffalo (16.2%) and cattle (16%). More than 34% of isolated S. aureus strains were enterotoxigenic, and the presence of enterotoxin genes was higher in isolates from Karish cheese (80%) than those from cattle (48%) and buffalo (18.9%). The most predominant enterotoxin gene among isolated S. aureus strains was the sea gene (26.9%), followed by sec (4.5%) and sed (3%) genes. Isolated strains were resistant to clindamycin (100%), kanamycin (97%), nalidixic acid (86.6%), cefotaxime (73.1%) sulphamethazole—trimethoprim (65.6%). Meanwhile, 95.5%, 94%, 86.6% and 77.7% of S. aureus strains were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, amikacin, imipenem and both cefoxitin and gentamycin, respectively. In conclusion, the presence of enterotoxigenic- and methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains in animals, their environment, and dairy products represents a public health concern, particularly in small-scale dairy farms in Egypt. To reduce the risk of infection of livestock and humans with resistant strains, strict regulations and guidelines for antimicrobial use in such a system are urgently required

Efficacy of Bacillus probiotic mixture on the immunological responses and histopathological changes of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, L) challenged with Streptococcus iniae

Isolates of Streptococcus iniae were recovered from the diseased fish during summer season, identified and characterized using different laboratory techniques. Three hundred and sixty Nile tilapia (100 ± 5.0 g average weight) were divided into two subgroups in triplicates with 20 fish per replicate and received either sterile PBS (B0, B1 and B2, respectively) or S. iniae (B0+ S. iniae, B1+ S. iniae and B2 S. iniae, respectively). At 15 days post‐challenge, results showed low mortality rates in probiotic‐fed groups. The mortalities ranged from 6.67% in B2 to 81.67% in B0 following S. iniae challenge. The haematological parameters showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in haemoglobin, red blood cells and white blood cells in B1, B1+S. iniae, B2 and B2+ S. iniae groups compared to B0+ S. iniae group. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level was elevated (p < 0.05) in tilapia challenged with S. iniae compared to the control groups. Glucose and creatinine levels were elevated (p < 0.05) in all groups compared with B0. Both albumin and globulin levels were significantly low (p < 0.05) in B0+ S. iniae compared to other groups. The total protein level, phagocytosis and phagocytic index were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in B0+ S. iniae than other groups. Histological analysis showed that the hepatopancreas of B0, B1 and B2 groups represents normal hepatocyte architecture, while the infected tilapia showed severe diffused necrosis, mononuclear cell infiltration and loss of the normal architecture. Spleen of PBS control groups did not show any pathological changes, while that of infected tilapia revealed several necrotic areas in addition to marked depletion of lymphoid cells. A loss of skin layers was observed in infected tilapia with marked interstitial oedema and leucocytic cell infiltration which was not observed in the probiotic‐fed fish. The current study highlights the immunomodulatory effect of Bacillus probiotic mixture against S. iniae infection in tilapia that can be further applied to control the disease in farms

A multifaceted risk model of brucellosis at the human-animal interface in Egypt

Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis affecting humans and a wide range of domesticated and wild animal species. An important element for effective disease containment is to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of afflicted communities. This study aimed to assess the KAP related to brucellosis at the human‐animal interface in an endemic area of Egypt and to identify the risk factors for human infection. A matched case‐control study was conducted at the central fever hospitals located in six governorates in northen Egypt. Face‐to‐face interviews with cases and controls were conducted using a structured questionnaire. In total, 40.7% of the participants owned farm animals in their households. The overall mean practice score regarding animal husbandry, processing and consumption of milk and dairy products was significantly lower among cases compared to controls [‐12.7±18.1 vs 0.68±14.2 respectively; p< 0.001]. Perceived barriers for notification of animal infection/abortion were predominate among cases and positively correlated with participants’ education. The predictors of having brucellosis infection were consumption of unpasteurized milk or raw dairy products and practicing animal husbandry. Applying protective measures against infection significantly reduced its risk. A model predicting risk factors for brucellosis among those who own animal showed that frequent abortions per animal increased the chance for brucellosis infection among human cases by 50‐fold (95% CI: 8.8 – 276.9), whereas the use of protective measures in animal care reduced the odds [OR= 0.11 (95% CI: 0.03 – 0.45)]. In conclusion, consumption of unprocessed dairy products was equally important as contact with infected/aborted animals as major risk factors for Brucella spp. infection among humans in Egypt. There is poor knowledge, negative attitudes and risky behaviors among villagers which can perpetuate the risk of brucellosis transmission at the human‐animal interface. This supports the need for integrating health education into the national brucellosis control program

Seafood in Food Security: A Call for Bridging the Terrestrial-Aquatic Divide

The contribution of seafood to global food security is being increasingly highlighted in policy. However, the extent to which such claims are supported in the current food security literature is unclear. This review assesses the extent to which seafood is represented in the recent food security literature, both individually and from a food systems perspective, in combination with terrestrially-based production systems. The results demonstrate that seafood remains under-researched compared to the role of terrestrial animal and plant production in food security. Furthermore, seafood and terrestrial production remain siloed, with very few papers addressing the combined contribution or relations between terrestrial and aquatic systems. We conclude that far more attention is needed to the specific and relative role of seafood in global food security and call for the integration of seafood in a wider interdisciplinary approach to global food system research.Additional co-authors: Neil L. Andrew, Gulshan Ara, Gill Banner-Stevens, Ben Belton, Malcolm Beveridge, Jessica R. Bogard, Simon R. Bush, Peter Edwards, Joao G. Ferreira, Angus Garrett, Iain Gatward, Faruk U. Islam, Marian Kjellevold, Froukje Kruijssen, Abullah-Al Mamun, Birgitte Krogh-Poulsen, Belinda Richardson, Nanna Roos, Elin Röös, Tori Spence-McConnell, Sharon K. Suri, Shauntala H. Thilsted, Kim D. Thompson, Michael F. Tlusty, Max F. Troell, Raffaele Vignola, Wenbo Zhan

Seafood in Food Security: A Call for Bridging the Terrestrial-Aquatic Divide

The contribution of seafood to global food security is being increasingly highlighted in policy. However, the extent to which such claims are supported in the current food security literature is unclear. This review assesses the extent to which seafood is represented in the recent food security literature, both individually and from a food systems perspective, in combination with terrestrially-based production systems. The results demonstrate that seafood remains under-researched compared to the role of terrestrial animal and plant production in food security. Furthermore, seafood and terrestrial production remain siloed, with very few papers addressing the combined contribution or relations between terrestrial and aquatic systems. We conclude that far more attention is needed to the specific and relative role of seafood in global food security and call for the integration of seafood in a wider interdisciplinary approach to global food system research

Seafood in Food Security: a call for bridging the terrestrial-aquatic divide

The contribution of seafood to global food security is being increasingly highlighted in policy. However, the extent to which such claims are supported in the current food security literature is unclear. This review assesses the extent to which seafood is represented in the recent food security literature, both individually and from a food systems perspective, in combination with terrestrially-based production systems. The results demonstrate that seafood remains under-researched compared to the role of terrestrial animal and plant production in food security. Furthermore, seafood and terrestrial production remain siloed, with very few papers addressing the combined contribution or relations between terrestrial and aquatic systems. We conclude that far more attention is needed to the specific and relative role of seafood in global food security and call for the integration of seafood in a wider interdisciplinary approach to global food system research