Seasonal analysis of leptospirosis in apparently healthy dairy cattle of Pananchery panchayat in Thrissur district, Kerala

Leptospirosis is an economically important zoonotic bacterial disease of cattle with global distribution. The present study investigated the seroprevalence and distribution of leptospiral serovars in cattle population in Pananchery panchayat of Thrissur district, Kerala. From 52 apparently healthy dairy cattle, serum samples were collected in both pre-monsoon and postmonsoon seasons. All samples were subjected to microscopic agglutination test (MAT) against 13 serovars of Leptospira spp. Among the samples tested, 13 (25 per cent) samples in pre-monsoon and 19 (36.54 per cent) samples in post-monsoon were found to be positive. The predominant serovars detected in pre-monsoon were Hardjo (29.41 per cent) followed by Grippotyphosa (17.64 per cent), Bataviae and Pomona (11.76 per cent each). Similarly in post-monsoon, Hardjo (28.57 per cent) followed by Grippotyphosa (23.81 per cent), and Bataviae (19.05 per cent) were identified as the most common serovars. Higher seroprevalence of disease in apparently healthy cattle in post-monsoon compared to pre-monsoon indicate the influence of rainfall on occurrence of leptospirosis

Occurrence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in pigs and the assessment of biosecurity measures employed at unorganized pig farms in Thrissur, Kerala

Campylobacter spp. is considered as one of the major causes of foodborne illnesses worldwide. A total of 130 samples including faecal samples (n=40), rectal swabs (n=40) and sewage samples (n=50) were collected from the two unorganized pig farms to study the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. The biosecurity measures on the farms were also assessed. An overall occurrence of 26.15 per cent with a higher rate of isolation from rectal swabs (57.5 per cent) than faecal and sewage samples (25 per cent and 2 per cent) were observed. The occurrence of C. coli was found to be 55 per cent, while that of C. jejuni and C. coli was 5 per cent in rectal swabs collected from Farm A. Campylobacter coli could be isolated only from the sewage sample from farm B. Direct multiplex PCR screening detected C. coli in 32 per cent and 44 per cent of sewage samples from farms A and B, respectively. This indicates that the Campylobacter organisms in sewage samples might have attained viable but not culturable form. In both farms, no effective biosecurity measures were followed. The lack of biosecurity measures in farms contributes to the transmission of Campylobacter spp. from the environment to the animals. Farm workers of both the farms were unaware of hygienic practices and biosecurity measures. Furthermore, little attention was paid to personal protective measures, which could pose a significant occupational risk of contracting campylobacteriosis, resulting in complex sequelae

Prevalence and antibiotic resistance profile of Listeria spp. associated with seafoods from fish catchment areas in Kerala, India

Background and Aim: Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous, intracellular pathogen which has been implicated as a cause of several foodborne outbreaks. This study aimed to generate information on the prevalence and antibiotic resistance profile of Listeria species isolated from seafood. Materials and Methods: A total of 400 samples of fresh fish, 100 samples of dry fish and 200 samples each of crustaceans and mollusks were collected from the fish catchment areas. All the samples were subjected to isolation and identification of Listeria spp. by two-step enrichment in UVM broth and plating on selective agar media (PALCAM) and then subjected to molecular characterization. L. monocytogenes isolates obtained during the study were subjected to serotyping by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. The isolates were also subjected to antibiotic sensitivity test. Results: The prevalence of L. monocytogenes in seafoods in the present study was 0.55%. The isolates of L. monocytogenes were found to possess all virulence genes, namely, iap, hlyA, actA, prfA, plcA, and inlA. All the isolates belonged to serotype 4b. The occurrence of Listeria innocua was found to be more and was detected in 16.77% of seafoods samples. Antibiotic sensitivity test revealed that all isolates were resistant to cefixime but were sensitive to almost all other commonly used antibiotics. Conclusion: The presence of Listeria spp. in raw seafood samples augments the need for implementation of good hygienic practices during the handling and processing of seafoods to safeguard the health of the consumers

Occurrence of oxytetracycline residues in milk samples from Palakkad, Kerala, India

Background and Aim: Food of animal origin such as milk is vital for nutritional security and should be free of any antibiotic residues due to its public health significance. We designed a study aiming to determine the occurrence of antibiotic residues and in further levels of oxytetracycline residues in pooled raw milk samples from Palakkad district, Kerala. Materials and Methods: We collected pooled raw milk samples were collected from Alathur, Chittoor, and Palakkad blocks of Palakkad district, Kerala. A total of 215 samples were screened for antibiotic residues by microbial inhibition assay (MIA) and the positive samples were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine oxytetracycline residues, this was further confirmed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: We found that out of the 215 pooled raw milk samples screened for antibiotic residues using MIA, 22 samples (10.23%) were positive for antibiotic residues from Palakkad, Kerala. Out of these 22 samples, five (2.33%) were positive for oxytetracycline residues. We further calculated the mean concentration of oxytetracycline residues in these five samples and estimated it to be 201.00±41.25 ng/mL and 272.11±53.21 ng/mL using ELISA and HPLC, respectively. On analyzing these five samples, we found that four samples (1.86%) exceeded the maximum residue limits level of 100 ng/mL for oxytetracycline residues in milk as specified by Codex Alimentarius Commission/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Conclusion: This study revealed that the occurrence of oxytetracycline residues in pooled raw milk samples in the Palakkad district of Kerala. Hence, there is a need for surveillance and monitoring of antibiotic residues in milk due to its impact on public health to ensure consumer safety