The Epidemiologic Link between Listeriosis and Ready-to-Eat Food Products

Historically, most food-borne pathogens have been controlled by processing procedures such as pasteurization or cooking. Other bacterial pathogens are usually acquired through eating raw or undercooked meat, raw milk and produce that has been contaminated. However, with Listeria monocytogenes the foods most often implicated both in outbreaks and in sporadic cases are considered ready-to-eat (RTE) with no 112 International Journal of Global Health and Health Disparities further processing. In addition to acquiring the pathogen through raw meats, raw milk and produce the disease has been traced to consumption of deli meats, pasteurized milk, and pasteurized milk products. This is due to some unique characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes; it is relatively resistant to acid and high salt concentrations, it grows well at refrigerated temperature ( even freezing), it persists in the environment, and it readily produces a biofilm that helps it to survive in food production facilities (Swaminathan, 2007). A 1986 survey of 41 meat-processing plants cultured samples from cleaning aids, wash areas, sausage peelers, and food contact surfaces. One-third of the plants cultured positive for Listeria species (American Meat Institute, 1987). The purpose of this literature review is to study the epidemiologic evidence relating contaminated ready-to eat food products to the development of Listeriosis

Silent witnesses: the experience of having a sibling with anorexia nervosa

BACKGROUND: This study explored the experience of having a sibling with anorexia nervosa and the sibling perspectives on service provision. METHOD: Four focus groups were conducted with 14 siblings (8 female, 6 male, age 11–19 years) of adolescents with anorexia nervosa or related restrictive eating disorders. Group discussions were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes and eight sub-themes were generated. These illustrated siblings feel greatly affected by the way the family needs to change to support someone with anorexia nervosa. Feelings of ambivalence and acceptance were also evident. They described silencing their own emotions and needs so as not to trouble others, and distancing themselves from their families in order to cope. Some female (but no male) siblings identified an impact on their own perceptions of eating and body image. Siblings generally felt that services had not attended to their needs, and that they had not been appropriately included in treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this study suggest the sibling experience needs to be more carefully considered and included in treatment. This may include a more explicit invitation to sessions and a more active discussion about their own needs and useful involvement in treatment sessions. Findings point to ways siblings may be better supported, such as peer support groups. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40337-022-00655-1

Aqueous Processes and Microbial Habitability of Gale Crater Sediments from the Blunts Point to the Glenn Torridon Clay Unit

A driving factor for sending the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity rover to Gale Crater was the orbital detection of clay minerals in the Glen Torridon (GT) clay unit. Clay mineral detections in GT suggested a past aqueous environment that was habitable, and could contain organic evidence of past microbiology. The mission of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard Curiosity was to detect organic evidence of past microbiology and to detect volatile bearing mineralogy that can inform on whether past geochemical conditions would have supported microbiological activity. The objective of this work was to 1) evaluate the depositional/alteration conditions of Blunts Point (BP) to GT sediments 2) search for evidence of organics, and 3) evaluate microbial habitability in the BP, Vera Rubin Ridge (VRR), and GT sedimentary rock

Pathogen Screening for Possible Causes of Meningitis/Encephalitis in Wild Carnivores From Saxony-Anhalt

Inflammation in meninges and/or brain is regularly noticed in red foxes and other wild carnivores during rabies control programs. Despite negative rabies virus (RABV) results, the etiologies of these cases remain unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to provide an overview of the occurrence of pathogens that may cause diseases in the brains of wild carnivores and pose a risk to humans and other animals. In addition to RABV and canine distemper virus (CDV), a variety of pathogens, including members of Flaviviridae, Bornaviridae, Herpesviridae, Circoviridae, as well as bacteria and parasites can also cause brain lesions. In 2016 and 2017, brain samples of 1,124 wild carnivores were examined by direct fluorescent antibody test for RABV as well as (reverse-transcriptase) quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of CDV as part of a monitoring program in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Here, we applied similar methods to specifically detect suid herpesvirus 1 (SuHV-1), West Nile virus (WNV), Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1), canid alphaherpesvirus 1 (CaHV-1), canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), fox circovirus (FoxCV), and Neospora caninum (N. caninum). Further, bacteriogical examination for the existence of Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) and immunohistochemistry of selected cases to detect Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) antigen were performed. Of all pathogens studied, CDV was found most frequently (31.05%), followed by FoxCV (6.80%), CPV-2 (6.41%), T. gondii (4/15; 26.67%), nematode larvae (1.51%), L. monocytogenes (0.3%), and various other bacterial pathogens (1.42%). In 68 of these cases (6.05%), multiple pathogen combinations were present simultaneously. However, RABV, WNV, BoDV-1, SuHV-1, CaHV-1, and N. caninum were not detected. The majority of the histopathological changes in 440 animals were inflammation (320/440; 72.73%), predominantly non-suppurative in character (280/320; 87.50%), and in many cases in combination with gliosis, satellitosis, neuronophagia, neuronal necrosis, and/or vacuolization/demyelination, or in single cases with malacia. Thus, it could be shown that wild carnivores in Saxony-Anhalt are carriers mainly for CDV and sometimes also for other, partly zoonotic pathogens. Therefore, the existing monitoring program should be expanded to assess the spill-over risk from wild carnivores to humans and other animals and to demonstrate the role of wild carnivores in the epidemiology of these zoonotic pathogens

Prepared to teach : an investigation into the preparation of teachers to teach literacy and numeracy

Teacher education in Australia is a large and diverse enterprise. There are more than 400 programs in 36 universities, enrolling a total of about 35,000 preservice teachers (DEST, 2003). The labour market for newly graduating teachers, pattern of entry to teacher education, the range of courses offered, the place of literacy and numeracy in those courses, and the provision of school experience influence the quality of beginning teachers\u27 literacy and numeracy teaching

Education and Levels of Salivary Cortisol Over the Day in US Adults

Background - Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is hypothesized to be an important pathway linking socioeconomic position and chronic disease. Purpose - This paper tests the association between education and the diurnal rhythm of salivary control. Methods - Up to 8 measures of cortisol (mean of 5.38 per respondent) over two days were obtained from 311 respondents aged 18-70, drawn from 2001-2002 Chicago Community Adult Health Study. Multi-level models with linear splines were used to estimate waking level, rates of cortisol decline, and area-under-the-curve over the day, by categories of education. Results - Lower education (0-11 years) was associated with lower waking levels of cortisol, but not the rate of decline of cortisol, resulting in a higher area-under-the-curve for more educated respondents throughout the day. Conclusions - This study found evidence of lower cortisol exposure among individuals with less education and thus does not support the hypothesis that less education is associated with chronic over-exposure to cortisol

Education and Levels of Salivary Cortisol Over the Day in US Adults

Background - Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is hypothesized to be an important pathway linking socioeconomic position and chronic disease. Purpose - This paper tests the association between education and the diurnal rhythm of salivary control. Methods - Up to 8 measures of cortisol (mean of 5.38 per respondent) over two days were obtained from 311 respondents aged 18-70, drawn from 2001-2002 Chicago Community Adult Health Study. Multi-level models with linear splines were used to estimate waking level, rates of cortisol decline, and area-under-the-curve over the day, by categories of education. Results - Lower education (0-11 years) was associated with lower waking levels of cortisol, but not the rate of decline of cortisol, resulting in a higher area-under-the-curve for more educated respondents throughout the day. Conclusions - This study found evidence of lower cortisol exposure among individuals with less education and thus does not support the hypothesis that less education is associated with chronic over-exposure to cortisol

Haemophilus influenzae oral vaccination for preventing acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Review)

Background: Chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are serious conditions in which patients are predisposed to viral and bacterial infections resulting in potentially fatal acute exacerbations. COPD is defined as a lung disease characterised by obstruction to lung airflow that interferes with normal breathing. Antibiotic therapy has not been particularly useful in eradicating bacteria such as non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) because they are naturally occurring flora of the upper respiratory tract in many people. However, they can cause opportunistic infection. An oral NTHi vaccine has been developed to protect against recurrent infective acute exacerbations in chronic bronchitis. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of an oral, whole-cell, non-typeable H. influenzae (NTHi) vaccine in protecting against recurrent episodes of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and COPD in adults. To assess the effectiveness of NTHi vaccine in reducing NTHi colonising the respiratory tract during recurrent episodes of acute exacerbations of COPD. Search methods: We searched the following databases: CENTRAL (2014, Issue 6), MEDLINE (1946 to July week 3, 2014), EMBASE (1974 to July 2014), CINAHL (1981 to July 2014), LILACS (1982 to July 2014) and Web of Science (1955 to July 2014). We also searched trials registries and contacted authors of trials requesting unpublished data. Selection criteria: We included randomised controlled trials comparing the effects of an oral monobacterial NTHi vaccine in adults with recurrent acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis or COPD when there was overt matching of the vaccine and placebo groups on clinical grounds. The selection criteria considered populations aged less than 65 years and those older than 65 years. Data collection and analysis: Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data from original records and publications for incidence and severity of bronchitis episodes and carriage rate of NTHi measured in the upper respiratory tract, as well as data relevant to other primary and secondary outcomes. Main results: We identified six placebo-controlled randomised controlled trials with a total of 557 participants. They investigated the efficacy of enteric-coated, killed preparations of H. influenzae in populations prone to recurrent acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis or COPD. The vaccine preparation and immunisation regime in all trials consisted of at least three courses of formalin-killed H. influenzae in enteric-coated tablets taken at intervals (for example, days 0, 28 and 56). Each course generally consisted of two tablets taken after breakfast over three consecutive days. In all cases the placebo groups took enteric-coated tablets containing glucose. Risk of bias was moderate across the studies, namely due to the lack of information provided about methods and inadequate presentation of results. Meta-analysis of the oral NTHi vaccine showed a small, non-statistically significant reduction in the incidence of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis or COPD by 2.048% (risk ratio (RR) 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84 to 1.12, P value = 0.68). There was no significant difference in mortality rate between the vaccine and placebo groups (odds ratio (OR) 1.62, 95% CI 0.63 to 4.12, P value = 0.31). We were unable to meta-analyse the carriage levels of NTHi in participants as each trial reported this result using different units and tools of measurement. Four trials showed no significant difference in carriage levels, while two trials showed a significant decrease in carriage levels in the vaccinated group compared with placebo. Four trials assessed severity of exacerbations measured by requirement for antibiotics. Three of these trials were comparable and when meta-analysed showed a statistically significant 80% increase in antibiotic courses per person in the placebo group (RR 1.81, 95% CI 1.35 to 2.44, P value < 0.0001). There was no significant difference between the groups with regards to hospital admission rates (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.13 to 7.04, P value = 0.97). Adverse events were reported in all six trials with a point estimate suggestive that they occurred more frequently in the vaccine group, however, this result was not statistically significant (RR 1.43, 95% CI 0.70 to 2.92, P value = 0.87). Quality of life was not meta-analysed but was reported in two trials, with results at six months showing an improvement in quality of life in the vaccinated group (scoring at least two points better than placebo). Authors' conclusions: Analyses demonstrate that NTHi oral vaccination of patients with recurrent exacerbations of chronic bronchitis or COPD does not yield a significant reduction in the number and severity of exacerbations. Evidence is mixed and the individual trials that show a significant benefit of the vaccine are too small to advocate widespread oral vaccination of people with COPD

Extensive carbon isotopic heterogeneity among methane seep microbiota

To assess and study the heterogeneity of δ^(13)C values for seep microorganisms of the Eel River Basin, we studied two principally different sample sets: sediments from push cores and artificial surfaces colonized over a 14 month in situ incubation. In a single sediment core, the δ^(13)C compositions of methane seep-associated microorganisms were measured and the relative activity of several metabolisms was determined using radiotracers. We observed a large range of archaeal δ^(13)C values (> 50‰) in this microbial community. The δ^(13)C of ANME-1 rods ranged from −24‰ to −87‰. The δ^(13)C of ANME-2 sarcina ranged from −18‰ to −75‰. Initial measurements of shell aggregates were as heavy as −19.5‰ with none observed to be lighter than −57‰. Subsequent measurements on shell aggregates trended lighter reaching values as ^(13)C-depleted as −73‰. The observed isotopic trends found for mixed aggregates were similar to those found for shell aggregates in that the initial measurements were often enriched and the subsequent analyses were more ^(13)C-depleted (with values as light as −56‰). The isotopic heterogeneity and trends observed within taxonomic groups suggest that ANME-1 and ANME-2 sarcina are capable of both methanogenesis and methanotrophy. In situ microbial growth was investigated by incubating a series of slides and silicon (Si) wafers for 14 months in seep sediment. The experiment showed ubiquitous growth of bacterial filaments (mean δ^(13)C = −38 ± 3‰), suggesting that this bacterial morphotype was capable of rapid colonization and growth