Welcome to the Microbiology Information

According to recent findings, Campylobacteriosis has overtaken salmonellosis as the most reported animal infection transmitted to humans in the European Union.

The second annual European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report highlights that while food safety measures have significantly reduced instances of salmonella affecting humans, more attention is needed to tackle campylobacter. The findings are likely influence future European food safety policy decisions makers with screening of campylobacter likely on foods.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) provided the data on animal diseases that cross over to humans, known as zoonoses, and contributed to the analysis. The study was conducted on 24 European Union countries and Norway, Iceland and Switzerland.

European Union reporting of investigated cases of outbreaks caused by food contamination was made mandatory 2005 for the first time. During 2005, there were 5,311 food borne outbreaks reported in the European Union involving 47,251 people. They resulted in 5,330 hospitalizations and 24 deaths.

In 2005, reported cases of campylobacter in humans increased 7.8 per cent against the previous year rising to an incidence rate of 51.6 per 100,000 and a total of 197,363 recorded cases.

Salmonella, campylobacter, and viruses were the most important causes of reported food borne outbreaks in 2005. Egg and bakery products were the most common sources of Salmonella outbreaks, whereas broiler meat was an important source for both salmonella and campylobacter outbreaks. Food borne virus outbreaks were most often caused by drinking water, fruit and vegetables.

As in 2004, the primary source of campylobacter infections in 2005 was linked to fresh poultry with up to 66 per cent of some samples testing positive.

Salmonella infections, while still remaining a serious threat to human heath and very much in the public consciousness, fell by 9.5 per cent in 2005 to an incidence rate of 38.2 cases per 100,000, with a total 176,395 reported cases.

Reported salmonella was most often caused by fresh poultry and pig meat where proportions of positive samples up to 18 per cent were detected. In table eggs, findings of positive samples ranged from zero per cent to six per, but over the past five years an overall decreasing trend in occurrence of salmonella in eggs was observed. In animal populations, salmonella was most frequently detected in poultry flocks.

Relatively high proportions of campylobacter and salmonella isolates from animals and food were resistant to antimicrobials commonly used in treatment of human diseases. This is especially the case of resistance to fluoroquinolones in campylobacter isolates from poultry, where up to 94 per cent of isolates were reported resistant to ciprofloxacin.

This is a concern for the food industry and consumers as pathogen resistance compromises effective treatment and prevention.

The report provides additional information on other zoonotic diseases, which although not as prevalent in people as campylobacter and salmonella, still pose a threat to human health due to their severity.

EFSA highlights listeriosis, for example, in the report. The disease is relatively rare, with only 1439 reported cases in 2005, but has high case-fatality rate and potential affects on unborn children which can lead to miscarriage. Verotoxigencic Escherichia coli, a type of E coli, affected 3,314 people in 2005 and are another disease that can seriously damage the health of humans, especially children.

According to the Daily Journal San Mateo, E. coli was launched into space.

Orbiting above the Earth in a super deluxe space laboratory aboard satellite GeneSat-1, the E. coli bacteria was launched into Earth’s orbit on Friday, NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field reports.

While E. coli can cause big problems in food products on Earth, scientists at Stanford University say this particular strain is not harmful. They believe studying the model organism’s behavior may help determine the effect outer space conditions have on human beings.

According to scientists at Stanford, when humans spend a long time in microgravity they may lose bone density, muscle tone, have decreased immune system performance and may even suffer genetic side effects.

If astronauts made the three-year long trip to Mars, they would have a high chance of getting cancer, according to a statement made by NASA.

If scientists determine which E. coli genes are impacted by radiation in outer space, they may be one step closer to determining a proper course of action to protect astronauts.

In order to determine which particular genes are impacted when E. coli endure microgravity and radiation, scientists have fused fluorescence on to the E. coli genes, causing them to glow if they are affected by outer space radiation. “If you do this you can make an organism be a living radiation meter,” said Stanford electrical engineering professor Gregory Kovacs.

Since E. coli’s genome is well known to scientists and since the bacteria can grow many generations over a short time, it was a natural candidate for this experiment, according to scientists.

However Kovacs said Stanford’s scientific team had to design a cushy home for the bacteria because “It’s difficult enough to keep a closed container of E. coli alive on Earth. It’s even harder in space. You have to keep them at the right temperature, and take out the trash,” said Kovacs in reference to the waste the bacteria produce.

The E. coli will live unattended in a shoebox-sized cube that weighs only ten pounds because according to Antonio Ricco, chief technologist for NASA’s Astrobionics Program and an architect of the mission, “getting human-tended science experiments into space is costly and too rare.”
“But with low-cost frequent space accessing using unmanned hitchhiking satellite experiments many more experiments can be done and repetition of the most important experiments can become routine,” said Ricco.

Sending the bacteria into outer space cost only $8 million, which is according to Ricco, “relatively inexpensive for a space mission like this, where we have had to invent and build much of the technology from scratch.”

The E. coli experiment will begin within 15 days of the GeneSat-1 launch and run for about four days at which point the E. coli will run out of food and likely die, according to Stanford University scientists.

GeneSat-1 will be in orbit taking space measurements for about a year until its orbit begins to decay and it burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Source

The development of the first tuberculosis vaccine is starting to move forward as clinical testing has begun on candidates. Tuberculosis is an airborne bacterial disease that kills nearly two million people annually. An estimated two billion, one of every three people on the planet are infected with the disease, although only ten percent of these people develop the disease and become contagious.

Novel subunit vaccine candidates aimed at boosting previous BCG-prime vaccination and novel viable attenuated vaccine candidates aimed at substituting BCG have both completed the preclinical stage.

Despite these achievements, rational vaccine design against tuberculosis has not come to an end. Novel findings in basic immunology and microbiology will advance further improvements in vaccine development. These include the potential role of cross priming to induce more potent T-cell responses, the role of memory T cells and regulatory T cells in sustaining or curtailing optimal immune responses, respectively, as well as the involvement of cytokines in T-cell migration to non-immunologic tissue sites and in the generation of memory. Knowledge about basic mechanisms underlying optimum protection will not only have a direct impact on future vaccine design against tuberculosis but also help in the formulation of a set of biomarkers with predictive value for vaccine efficacy assessment.

Baumann S et al, …
Curr Opin Immunol. 2006 Jun 12
Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Department of
Immunology, Schumannstrasse 21-22, 10117 Berlin, Germany.

An international conference celebrating 75 years of ICSU will be held on the 4-6 April 2007 in Lindau, Germany. It will be based on the Global Scientific Challenges with Perspectives from Young Scientists.

Background
From sustainable development, to emerging disease epidemics, the interaction of humankind with its environment lies at the core of a myriad of complex global challenges. Scientific research is a critical resource for addressing these challenges, whether that be via the development of new technologies or the promotion of better policies. At the same time, the speed of scientific and technological innovation and concerns about the potential misuse of science are creating tensions at the interface between scientists and society. New approaches are necessary for the planning, conduct, and communication of international research and a closer partnership needs to be built between science and society as a whole.

Aim
This conference will bring together approximatley two hundred young scientists from across the world, and from different disciplines, to discuss and debate some of the key challenges for science in the 21st century. The conference is designed to attract and stimulate the interests of those who will play a leading role in international research over future decades. Through the critical assessment of specific case studies and experiences, the conference will serve as a space for reflection on the future conduct of science in the context of a rapidly changing world.

The conference will serve as a forum for young scientists to:

• Exchange knowledge and experience with their peers in an interdisciplinary and intercultural setting
• Debate key issues at the interface between science and society
• Identify and discuss emerging obstacles and challenges for the scientist of tomorrow

It will provide a unique international networking opportunity that is quite distinct from the usual discipline or topic-focussed meeting.

Themes
The conference be structured around a matrix of key issues, related to the conduct of science, and cross-cutting scientific topics.

Key issues
International Cooperation
Transdisciplinary Collaboration
Public Engagement
Science for Policy
Scientific Freedom and Responsibilities
Science and the Private Sector

Scientific topics
Environmental Change
Sustainable Development
Human Health
Basic Research and Discovery

The selected scientific topics are deliberately broad and inclusive and are characterised by the need for international and interdisciplinary cooperation.

Format
The conference will include a number of keynote addresses and panel discussions, involving a mix of senior and junior scientists. However, the majority of the time will be devoted to interactive, small-group presentations and discussions, so that each participant has an opportunity to share his or her own experiences and perspectives. The meeting will be structured to deliberately mix people from diverse scientific and geographic backgrounds, whilst respecting their interest in the selected scientific topics.

Participant profile
Participants should ideally be under 35 years old (with an absolute age limit of 40 years). Participants should have a PhD or MSc or have completed at least 2 years of post-graduate research studies, and must have demonstrated an active interest in at least one of the scientific topics and/or cross-cutting issues listed above. Efforts will be made to include scientists who work in a variety of professional settings, including academia, government laboratories, the private sector, science policy/mangement and science communication. English will be the working language for the conference.

All ICSU National Members (105), International Scientific Unions (29), and Interdisciplinary Bodies (18) are being invited to nominate and sponsor a young scientist to attend the conference. Additional invitees and speakers will be selected by the Conference Planning Committee.1 Financial support will be available only for National Members from developing countries that have identified a participant and cannot provide sponsorship.

DRAFT AGENDA

1 The Conference Planning Committee is made up of the following members: Gaëll Mainguy, Chair (World Academy of Young Scientists) France; Ravinder Bhatia (the Scholar Ship) UK; Juan Pablo Pardo Guerra (Young Pugwash) Mexico [Edinburgh]; Rehana Jauhangeer (UNESCO-L’Oreal Fellow) Mauritius [London]; Daniele Cesano (LEAD Fellow) Italy; Mustapha Mokrane, Laurie Geller & Belle Dumé (ICSU Secretariat).

For more information click here

On the 07/12/2006, one of Australia’s Largest Dairy Manufacturer - National Foods has recalled several thousand litres of its Pura brand milk, citing fears that it could be contaminated with the E.coli bacteria.

The voluntary recall on Tuesday of 14 of its brands in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory was announced after tests showed variable low levels of the bacteria.

“Retention samples indicated low but inconsistent levels so we sent them outside for further testing. When results came back they were still inconclusive but we decided to pull the whole lot just to be safe,” said spokesman Ian Greenshields.

E. coli can be fatal but typically causes abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhoea. A recent outbreak of E. coli from contaminated packaged spinach in the US led to 183 cases of illness and one death.

But when contamination is at low levels in a test sample, the bacteria may not occur in every batch of product, leading to inconsistent results and making it difficult to assess the risk. However food companies are increasingly cautious about microbiological contamination.

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand said this is the second most common reason for a product recall, after mislabelling.

“It is a growing trend and we commend them [food companies] for that,” said Lydia Buchtman, spokeswoman for the agency.

National Foods says the product contamination likely happened in the plant during manufacturing but the exact source is still being investigated. Pasteurisation is designed to kill this kind of bacteria.

It is not yet known how much the recall will cost the company but Greenshields said it involved ‘a whole day’s supply, a lot of product’ which could cost millions.

It included Pura whole milk, Pura Light Start and Woolworths and Homebrand whole milk which were manufactured on November 24 and have a best-used-before date of December 13.

Earlier this week Nestlé Australia also launched a voluntary recall of its Nan 2 HA Gold infant formula in 900g cans following the discovery of metal fragments in some cans. It is believed the contamination occurred during the production process.

3M announced that it has completed its acquisition of Biotrace International PLC, a Bridgend, UK-based manufacturer and supplier of industrial microbiology products used in food processing safety, health care, industrial hygiene and defense applications.

The acquisition allows 3M to provide food processors with a broader range of products that complement the widely used 3M Petrifilm Plate product line. “Biotrace International complements 3M’s core food processing safety business and enables us to expand into adjacent health care markets,” said Chuck Kummeth, division vice president, 3M Medical Division. “Together, 3M and Biotrace will help food processors provide healthy and safe food.”

The global food industry is continuously seeking improvements to its food safety efforts to ensure customer health. As a long-time provider of microbiological testing products, including 12 variations of the 3M Petrifilm Plate used by global food processors to detect specific organisms in food, 3M integrates detection systems, antimicrobial products and quality monitoring systems to improve the performance of laboratories of global food suppliers.

Biotrace specializes in the development and manufacture of hygiene monitors, tests for salmonella, listeria and e-coli; ATP-based milk sterility tests; and a variety of laboratory supplies for food testing labs. In addition to food service products, Biotrace provides rapid tests and laboratory consumables for environmental monitoring and quality control in a wide range of industrial and defense applications.

Biotrace also owns TECRA and it will be interesting which product they will push.

In Australia, the New South Wales Food Authority (NSWFA) was recently involved in a national incident involving a Salmonella outbreak in rock melons. During October 2006, 133 patients who had been infected with Salmonella Saintpaul were reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). Of these, 54 were from NSW, representing a significant increase in usual case numbers - approximately 36 annually in NSW). Cases of Salmonella Saintpaul were also reported in Victoria, Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and South Australia. NSW Health interviewed infected people about all food eaten in the few days before becoming ill. The most common food was rock melon.

As a result of these interviews, a case control study commenced on October 24 to determine if there was a statistical link between Salmonella Saintpaul and any of the commonly mentioned foods. A case-control study is an internationally recognized way of investigating outbreaks and involves interviewing cases (ill people) and controls (people not ill) with a standard questionnaire about food eaten over a set time period. Rock melon was the only food statistically associated with illness and was consumed by over 70% of cases, compared to only 13% of controls.

On the basis of initial interviews from Salmonella Saintpaul cases, the Food Authority commenced an investigation to trace the source from retail stores back to farm. Retail stores provided details of wholesalers who were then contacted. As a result of the Authority investigation, common rock melon processors and growers were identified. Environmental investigations conducted at farms in different states revealed issues requiring further attention. The horticulture industry has been proactive in working to address these issues and is cooperating with various government agencies across Australia to ensure the issue is resolved.

By early November, case numbers declined, signaling the outbreak was over. Consumers can be confident that Australian fresh produce is as
safe as it can be and should be a part of a healthy diet.