Systematic review and meta-analysis of bovine cysticercosis in Brazil : current knowledge and way forward

Background Taenia saginata taeniosis/cysticercosis has been well studied in several countries. Brazil is one of the most important beef exporting countries and has one of the highest cattle population size in the world. In this country, bovine cysticercosis (BCC) remains the most frequent reported zoonosis detected during post-mortem inspection, resulting in costs for the beef sector and public health. We performed a systematic literature review regarding data about BCC epidemiology in Brazil and meta-analyses for its prevalence in different administrative regions and the distribution over time, and based on this discussed possible control strategies. Methods A systematic review was conducted to obtain data about BCC in Brazil using the words "bovine cysticercosis" and "Brazil" to construct the search phrase. The inclusion criteria used to select articles were: (i) published from 2000 to 2018; (ii) full text available online in Portuguese or English; and (iii) contain information at least regarding one of the following aspects of BCC in Brazil: prevalence, incidence, spatial distribution, risk-factors, economic burden and measures for control. Results A set of 42 articles was included, covering the prevalence of BCC in Brazil, ranging between 0.01-18.75%. Prevalence results of 40 articles were included in a meta-analysis per administrative region. The highest prevalence was found in the South (3.4%; 95% CI: 2.0-5.2%), followed by the Southeast (2.7%; 95% CI: 1.9-3.6%), Northeast (1.5%; 95% CI: 0.6-2.7%), Central-western (0.9%; 95% CI: 0.3-1.7%) and North (0.0%; 95% CI: 0.0-0.6%) region. In addition, a reduction in prevalence over time was observed in all the evaluated states except for Alagoas and Para. Conclusions Besides the large availability of data, a critical lack of information about BCC epidemiology remains in Brazil. Nevertheless, the available data on prevalence, high risk-areas and risk factors should contribute to a better understanding of transmission and the formulation of recommendations for control. A One Health approach will be required to reduce T. saginata taeniosis/cysticercosis prevalence and the consequent economic burden for the beef sector in Brazil, one of the most important beef exporters in the world

Relation between serology of meat juice and bacteriology of tonsils and feces for the detection of enteropathogenic Yersinia spp. in pigs at slaughter

The association between positive serology and culture detection of Yersinia spp. in individual pigs was determined. Pieces of diaphragm from 370 pig carcasses were collected for serological analysis, and tonsils and feces of the same carcass were collected for bacteriological analysis. Detection of anti-Yersinia antibodies in meat juice samples was done using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on Yops (Yersinia outer proteins). Tonsils and feces were tested for the presence of enteropathogenic Yersinia spp. by direct plating on cefsulodin–irgasan–novobiocin agar plates. Of the 370 meat juice samples, 241 (65.1%) gave a positive serological reaction using a cutoff value of 20%. Enteropathogenic Yersinia spp. (Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:3 and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis) were found in tonsils of 161 pigs and feces of 30 pigs. Recovery of enteropathogenic Yersinia from the tonsils was highly correlated with positive serotiters, whereas no correlation was found between serology and fecal excretion. Results demonstrated that serology has an acceptable sensitivity, but a relatively low specificity for the rapid detection of enteropathogenic Yersinia spp. in tonsils of pigs at slaughter

Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity of Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni in Ecuadorian broilers at slaughter age

Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. are a major cause of foodborne gastrointestinal infections worldwide. The linkage of human campylobacteriosis and poultry has been widely described. In this study we aimed to investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity of C. coli and C. jejuni in broilers from Ecuador. Caecal content from 379 randomly selected broiler batches originating from 115 farms were collected from 6 slaughterhouses located in the province of Pichincha during 1 year. Microbiological isolation was performed by direct plating on mCCDA agar. Identification of Campylobacter species was done by PCR. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline, streptomycin, and erythromycin were obtained. Genetic variation was assessed by RFLP-flaA typing and Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) of selected isolates. Prevalence at batch level was 64.1%. Of the positive batches 68.7% were positive for C. coli, 18.9% for C. jejuni, and 12.4% for C. coli and C. jejuni. Resistance rates above 67% were shown for tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and nalidixic acid. The resistance pattern tetracycline, ciprofloxin, and nalidixic acid was the dominant one in both Campylobacter species. RFLP-flaA typing analysis showed that C. coli and C. jejuni strains belonged to 38 and 26 profiles respectively. On the other hand MLST typing revealed that C. coli except one strain belonged to CC-828, while C. jejuni except 2 strains belonged to 12 assigned clonal complexes (CCs). Furthermore 4 new sequence types (STs) for both species were described, whereby 2 new STs for C. coli were based on new allele sequences. Further research is necessary to estimate the impact of the slaughter of Campylobacter positive broiler batches on the contamination level of carcasses in slaughterhouses and at retail in Ecuador

Survival of Taenia saginata eggs under different environmental conditions

This study aimed to assess in vitro the transmission potential of T. saginata eggs stored in different media at various temperatures, and to optimize recovery, hatching and activation methods. A total of 42 freshwater and 42 silt samples were spiked with 100 mu l of a T. saginata egg suspension, of which half were stored at 5 degrees C and the other half at 20 degrees C. Additionally, 5 silt and 35 tap water control samples were included. Eggs were obtained from gravid proglottids passed by a human carrier following treatment. The duration of the experiment was 6 months, with three sampling time points at 2, 4 and 6 months, respectively (Study 1). In addition, two pilot studies were carried out. One included 8 samples kept in a freshwater stream for a period of 2 and 4 months, respectively, from December 2016 until February 2017 (Study 2). Another study used 6 water samples which were stored for one week in the freezer at -18 degrees C, and 6 samples that were stored outdoor from 7 to 14 February, at temperatures ranging from - 6 degrees C to 5 degrees C (Study 3). To assess survival of T. saginata eggs, recovery, hatching and activation methods were optimized. Taenia saginata eggs could be activated after 6 months of storage in water and silt at 5 degrees C. Storage at 20 degrees C significantly decreased activation of the eggs, to 4 months when stored in water and 2 months when stored in silt. Furthermore, degenerative changes in oncospheres were observed when eggs were stored at 20 degrees C, which were associated with an increased loss of oncospheres during activation. Eggs could be activated after 4 months of storage in the stream at temperatures ranging from - 10 degrees C to 17 degrees C, as well as after one week of constant freezing at - 18 degrees C, or repeated freezing and thawing from - 6 degrees C to 5 degrees C. This study indicates that T. saginata eggs can survive a Northern European winter, and thus pose a significant risk of transmission, and that in vitro activation is a more accurate method for assessing the transmission potential of T. saginata eggs, than recovery, integrity and hatching. Studies will be needed to assess how accurate the in vitro activation correlates to in vivo infectivity to ensure an accurate assessment of the transmission potential at a larger scale for surveillance purposes

Big data, prijsdiscriminatie en mededinging

De aandacht voor algoritmen en data is niet iets moderns. Sinds de Oudheid verzamelt de mens data om zijn omgeving in kaart te brengen, te begrijpen en te beheersen. De oude Egyptenaren bedreven de astronomie al, onder andere om een uniforme kalender vast te stellen. Omdat de mens een hekel heeft aan routinematig werk en efficiënt met zijn tijd wil omgaan, worden ook algoritmes (instructies om zonder verdere menselijke tussenkomt een uitkomst te bepalen) al sinds mensenheugenis gebruikt. Bekend is het eenvoudige algoritme van Euclides (323-283 v.C.) om de grootste gemeenschappelijke deler van twee getallen te bepalen. Ada Lovelace, de dochter van dichter Lord Byron, schreef in 1842 het eerste computeralgoritme, nog voor Babbage’s computer operationeel was

Attitudes and opinions of the abattoir sector toward the control and prevention of microbiological foodborne pathogens

The abattoir sector plays a crucial role in controlling foodborne hazards, so insight in the incentives that motivate abattoirs to implement control measures is of great relevance to food safety risk managers and policy makers. Therefore, a cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted to assess the attitudes and opinions of abattoirs in Belgium and the Netherlands toward preventive measures for controlling microbiological pathogens. A total of 80 abattoirs participated, generally they seem to be aware of the most hazardous bacterial pathogens for public health and of their responsibility and potential role to control these hazards. However, significant differences were observed between animal species, company size, and countries. Practical applications The findings of this survey may help to specify and adjust the set-up and implementation of control strategies and measures to the diverse incentives and opinions of different food business operators

Co-occurrence of free-living protozoa and foodborne pathogens on dishcloths: implications for food safety

&lt;p&gt;In the present study, the occurrence of free-living protozoa (FLP) and foodborne bacterial pathogens on dishcloths was investigated. Dishcloths form a potentially important source of cross-contamination with FLP and foodborne pathogens in food-related environments. First various protocols for recovering and quantifying FLP from dishcloths were assessed. The stomacher technique is recommended to recover flagellates and amoebae from dishcloths. Ciliates, however, were more efficiently recovered using centrifugation. For enumeration of free-living protozoa on dishcloths, the Most Probable Number method is a convenient method. Enrichment was used to assess FLP diversity on dishcloths (n=38). FLP were found on 89% of the examined dishcloths; 100% of these tested positive for amoebae, 71% for flagellates and 47% for ciliates. Diversity was dominated by amoebae: vahlkampfiids, vannellids, Acanthamoeba spp., Hyperamoeba sp. and Vermamoeba vermiformis were most common. The ciliate genus Colpoda was especially abundant on dishcloths while heterotrophic nanoflagellates mainly belonged to the genus Bodo, the glissomonads and cercomonads. The total number of FLP in used dishcloths ranged from 10 to 10(4) MPN/cm(2). Flagellates were the most abundant group, and ciliates the least abundant. Detergent use was identified as a prime determinant of FLP concentrations on used dishcloths. Bacterial load on dishcloths was high, with a mean total of aerobic bacteria of 7.47 log 10 cfu/cm(2). Escherichia coli was detected in 68% (26/38) of the used dishcloths, with concentrations up to 4 log 10 cfu/cm(2). Foodborne pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus (19/38), Arcobacter butzleri (5/38) and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica ser. Halle (1/38) were also present. This study showed for the first time that FLP, including some opportunistic pathogens, are a common and diverse group on dishcloths. Moreover, important foodborne pathogens are also regularly recovered. This simultaneous occurrence makes dishcloths a potential risk factor for cross-contamination and a microbial niche for bacteria-FLP interactions.&lt;/p&gt;</p