Welcome to the Microbiology Information

Hours after we learned that a wave of illnesses near a small meteorite impact in Peru were terrestrial in origin, a newly published study gave us a big reason to be glad: bacteria can be made deadlier by space travel.

NASA astronauts grew salmonella bacteria during an Atlantis space shuttle mission in 2006, and found that it had become three times as deadly to lab mice as its earthbound equivalents.

Why would that happen? Apparently, it wasn’t the near-zero gravity, at least not directly. The researchers, interviewed by The Associated Press, said that while they are not completely certain, they said the best explanation offered so far had to do with a little-known phenomenon called fluid shear.

Here is how Cheryl Nickerson, an associate professor at the Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology at Arizona State University, explained it to The A.P.:

“Being cultured in microgravity means the force of the liquid passing over the cells is low.” The cells “are responding not to microgravity, but indirectly to microgravity in the low fluid shear effects.”

“There are areas in the body which are low shear, such as the gastrointestinal tract, where, obviously, salmonella finds itself,” she went on. “So, it’s clear this is an environment not just relevant to space flight, but to conditions here on Earth, including in the infected host.”

Still, it’s hardly time to start shipping cases of Purell to the International Space Station. Astronauts have long been wary of microbial growth there, especially after a mysterious fungus started eating through the Mir Space Station.

No one got sick, but the problem was bad enough to prompt a Russian scientist to worry that destroying the station over Earth at the end of its service life could “do serious damage to humanity.” They did it anyway in 2001, and his worry proved unfounded.

NASA has a bunch of precautions for shuttle flights, including testing astronauts for infections, filtering the air onboard for microbes, disinfecting the water supply on the vehicle and keeping the ship spic-and-span with antibacterial wipes.

The results of the salmonella-on-the-shuttle experiment are being published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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While America’s food supply is the safest in the world, food poisoning is responsible for approximately 76 million illnesses in the United States each year. In fact, it is estimated that 60% or more of the raw poultry sold today probably has disease-causing bacteria. Anyone eating food contaminated by certain bacteria, parasites, or viruses can get food poisoning. Certain factors such as age and physical condition can make certain people more susceptible to food poisoning than others. Infants, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk.

For most people in good condition, food poisoning is usually neither long lasting nor life-threatening. However, to less healthy individuals it can become a serious health threat, accounting for approximately 5,000 deaths each year.

The good news is that by taking simple precautionary steps while purchasing, handling, and preparing food you can prevent most cases of food poisoning in the home.

What causes food poisoning? Food poisoning is most commonly caused by bacteria, parasites, or viruses that may be present in the food that you have eaten. You may have heard the names of many of these organisms. They include Escherichia coli (E coli), Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium botulinum, Shigella, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Trichinella, and Hepatitis A virus, just to name a few. They can be present in a wide range of food including red meat, poultry, milk and other dairy products, eggs, unpasteurized vegetable juices and ciders, spices, chocolate, seafood, and even water.

These organisms may be present on your food when it is bought or can get into the food, including cooked food, if the food comes into contact with raw meat juices on dirty utensils, cutting boards, or countertops used to prepare contaminated food. That’s why it is important not only to thoroughly cook your food, but to wash your hands, utensils, and countertops, before and after you handle raw foods.

What are the symptoms? Symptoms will vary depending on the type and amount of contaminants eaten. Some people may get ill after ingesting only a small amount of harmful bacteria, while others may remain free of symptoms after eating larger quantities. The most common symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain (cramps), fever, headache, and fatigue. Symptoms may develop as soon as 30 minutes after eating tainted food, but more commonly do not develop for several days or weeks. Symptoms of viral or parasitic food poisoning may not appear for several weeks, while some toxins in fish may take only a few minutes to cause symptoms.

If you have botulism, you probably will not have a fever and the symptoms may include blurred vision, fatigue, dry mouth and throat.

How food poisoning is diagnosed Food poisoning is often suspected when several people become ill after eating the same meal. To diagnose the cause of the illness, your doctor will need to know the symptoms and what was eaten right before the illness occurred. The doctor may need samples of the food, bowel movements, or vomit. These samples can be tested in a laboratory to determine if the food was contaminated and identify the organism causing the illness.

How is it treated? If the symptoms are severe, the victim should see a doctor or get emergency care. Treatment depends on the severity and cause of the food poisoning. Generally, for mild cases of food poisoning, the doctor will recommend for you to rest, drink fluids to prevent dehydration due to vomiting or diarrhea, and to follow a specific diet. It usually only takes about 1 to 5 days to recover from food poisoning.

If you have botulism, your doctor will prescribe an antitoxin. Other types of food poisoning have no antidote. Antibiotics are usually not helpful in treating food poisoning. Medicine to stop vomiting and stomach cramping may be given.

Prevention is the best approach to avoid food poisoning Most cases of food poisoning can be prevented. Below is a list of a few simple Do’s and Don’ts to help you avoid food-borne illness in the home.

● Do wash your hands, utensils, cutting boards, and countertops between different foods ● Do hrefrigerate or freeze perishables right away (Refrigerator temperature should be 41Ëš F and freezer 0ËšF) ● Do thoroughly cook foods. Cook beef, lamb, and pork to an internal temperature of 160ËšF; whole poultry and thighs to 180ËšF; poultry breasts to 170ËšF, ground chicken or turkey to 165ËšF ● Do hrefrigerate leftover foods as soon as possible; leftovers shouldn’t remain unrefrigerated longer than 2 hours. ● While food shopping, do select frozen foods and perishables such as meat, poultry, and fish last- before checking out ● Do use smooth cutting boards made of hard maple or plastic that are free of cracks and crevices ● Do store raw meats in leak-proof containers or on the bottom of the hrefrigerator to prevent juices from dripping on other foods ● Don’t allow uncooked meats, meat juices, or unwashed fruits and vegetables to come in contact with either cooked or washed foods ● Don’t buy frozen seafood if the packages are open, torn, or crushed on the edges ● Don’t buy food in cans that are bulging or dented, or in jars that are cracked ● Don’t ever buy outdated food. Check the “use by” or “sell by” dates ● Don’t buy unpasteurized milk or dairy products ● Do not buy hrefrigerated or frozen products that are not displayed at the proper temperature ● Do not let small children put foods away unsupervised

More information about this important health subject can be obtained from the following sources: Gateway to Government Food Safety Information www.foodsafety.gov U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wh-food.html Food Safety and Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/consumerpubs.htm

Supported as an educational service by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. This information is not intended for use as medical advice. You should discuss this information with your doctor.

Avaraham Henoch, MD 564 West 160th Street New York, NY 10032 Phone: (212) 740-6400

New Zealand with only a population of 6 million people is a nation of food worriers after a 750 people survey found some interesting data on their views of food and food borne pathogens.

Interestingly, scientists believe people may be anxiously worrying over small issues that pose little risk to their health.

In the phone survey conducted for the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA), they found that salmonella was the worst food fear, with 77 per cent being “very concerned” about it.

In addition, an antibiotic in meat was next with 67 per cent and campylobacter with 63 per cent.

But scientist Dr Donald Campbell said people were missing the three biggest threats to life, the amount of salt, fat and sugar in their diet.

Interestingly, people were more concern about eating at local buffets, food halls and ethnic restaurants than food made at home in an unhygienic way.

Campbell, the NZFSA principal adviser of public health, was surprised salmonella was the most feared.

“I would have expected campylobacter to be higher than salmonella,” he said.

Campylobacter had a greater impact on the community than salmonella. There were generally 10 times as many cases of campylobacter in a year than salmonella, said Campbell.

New Zealand had a 15 per cent rise in notified campylobacter cases last year to 15,873, compared with 1335 cases of salmonella.

Both are food-borne illnesses that have been associated with chicken and raw meats, and can cause symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and headache.

Canterbury medical officer of health Alistair Humphrey put campylobacter high on his list of concerns.

But he said many other bugs lurked in food, including norovirus which causes gastroenteritis’s of which there had been outbreaks in Christchurch.

Antibiotics used in animals for therapeutic purposes and to prevent disease may scare consumers towards vegetarianism, but “the evidence is of it being a very low risk,” Campbell said.

Listeria was a rarer food-borne illness (19 cases nationally last year) but could have devastating consequences, he said. At least half of cases occurred in pregnant women and one in four of their babies have died.

Listeria is linked to deli meats, poultry products, smoked seafood’s, soft cheeses and pre-cooked sausages. However stronger regulations have forced many food manufacturers to comply with strict hygiene.

Participants were more spooked about the use of pesticides in food production and additives.

More than 60 per cent of participants were “very concerned” about their potential effects.

Campbell said these were more “perceived risk” than actual risk, as pesticides and additives were covered by regulations.

The authority commissions the surveys every few years to gauge public feeling and tailor its food safety messages. “We eat at least three times a day, so it matters to us all,” Campbell said.

Genetically modified food greatly concerned 56 per cent of respondents, about the same as in two previous years, whereas a new category, food from cloned animals, worried 54 per cent.

“There is such a small use of genetically modified food. I would not put them as high on the list,” said Campbell.

Food allergies and irradiated food brought up the rear, with 47 per cent and 41 per cent respectively.

According to Itar-Tass (Moscow), a total of 444 construction workers has been infected with food poisoning and remains in hospitals within the Moscow region.

A total of 444 workers employed at Sheremetyevo (3 terminal in Moscow), the IKEA – Khimki Business Park construction sites had been hospitalized since June 20 with symptoms of food poisoning, a representative of the Ministry for Emergency Situations said.

The workers – citizens of Russia, the CIS and Turkey, lived at the Iskorka and Morozovka recreation compounds in the village of Myshetskoye of the Solnechnogorsk district. Poor quality food was is a presumed cause of food poisoning, a source of the infection is being established, the same source said.

Managers of the ENKA Company have been questioned within the framework of an investigation into mass food poisoning of construction workers employed at Terminal 3 at Sheremetyevo airport.

Almost all of the workers arrived in Russia from Turkey, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan to work on construction sites in Moscow. They lived on the premises of Ozero Krugloye recreation center in the Solnechnogorsk district.

According to preliminary data, all the victims have been infected with the salmonella bacteria and the source of the food for the workers were brought from Moscow.

The ENKA company might be stripped of the right to employ foreign workforce, the regional branch of the Federal Migration Service told Tass. “Since the company failed to fulfill its guarantees to the workers, which entailed grave consequences – mass food poisoning, and failed to ensure proper living conditions for the workers we are raising the issue of recalling the company’s license for the use of foreign workforce,” the Federal Migration Service said.

An operational headquarters for prevention of emergency situations in the Moscow region that is working round the clock has been following the situation. Healthcare Minister of the Moscow region Vladimir Semyonov said the workers’ condition was assessed as “medium seriousness”. Luckily, none of the sick people is in serious condition now, Semyonov said.

Deputy chairman of the government of the Moscow region Sergei Koshman said that the workers lived under conditions that did not meet the norm. Having obtained the license to accommodate 500 people, the employers invited 800 instead, Koshman said.

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According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a study has proven that certain strains of probiotics can have the potential to destroy Listeria monocytogenes.

According to Sinead Corr from the University College Cork told NutraIngredients.com that their results have clearly demonstrated the ability of certain probiotic bacteria to protect against potentially fatal illnesses. More specifically they have shown a role for bacteriocins in protecting against the potentially fatal food borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.

As probiotics mechanisms are specific, only certain strains will be effective which is why a thorough understanding of their beneficial effects are required. By understanding these specific mechanisms will enable their use in prevention and treatment of specific illnesses.

Probiotic products containing ‘friendly’ bacteria are now well accepted by consumers in many European countries, with putative benefits highlighted for gut and immune health.

Some of the researchers in this new study previously reported that a mixture of five Lactobacillus probiotic strains that may reduce food poisoning by salmonella. In that instance, the benefits for gut health were reported to be due to the probiotic bacteria adhering to the walls of the intestine, which inhibits the ability of the pathogenic Salmonella to stick and colonise the gut, thereby reducing the infection.

The new study offers an alternative method of protection, with a specific strain of Lactobacillus salivarius named UCC118 capable of producing a specific secondary metabolite or bacteriocin.

When the researchers tested UCC118 in mice infected with two common strains of food-borne Listeria monocytogenes, EGDe and LO28, they found that the mice were protected against infection. When the mice were given a mutant form of the probiotic that was unable to produce the Abp118 bacteriocin, no protection against infection was observed.

Also, “Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 did not offer any protection when mice were infected with a strain of Listeria monocytogenes expressing the cognate Abp118 immunity protein AbpIM, confirming that the antimicrobial effect is a result of direct antagonism between Lb. salivarius and the pathogen, mediated by the bacteriocin Abp118,” reported the researchers.

“The results of the UCC work clearly demonstrate a role for bacteriocins in protecting the host against potentially lethal infections. The study is the first to clearly demonstrate a mechanism by which probiotic bacteria may act to help improve the health of consumers,” said a release from the university.

Most foods containing probiotic bacteria are found in the refrigerated section of supermarkets as the bacteria is destroyed by heat and other processing conditions.

This has given the dairy sector, already used to handling live bacteria for the manufacture of yoghurt, a major advantage in probiotic foods – probiotic drinking yoghurts are currently the fastest growing dairy product in Europe.

But increasing research has focused on expanding protecting probiotics during processing and expanding the food categories available to prebiotics. Such an avenue of research has led companies like Cell Biotech from Korea using a dual-coating to protect probiotics against oxygen, acid, moisture and high temperatures for use in emerging new product categories such as breakfast cereals and smoothies.

Other approaches are also being explored, with scientists looking at improving probiotic viability by using whey protein gel particles, or prebiotic fibres.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

May 1, 2007, Volume 104, Number 18, Pages 7617-7621

“Bacteriocin production as a mechanism for the antiinfective activity of Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118″
Authors: S.C. Corr, Y. Li, C.U. Riedel, P.W. O’Toole, C. Hill, and C.G.M. Gahan

The giant chocolate manufacturer, Cadbury has pleaded guilty in a UK court to three breaches of the country’s food and hygiene regulations, admitting that it was responsible for allowing salmonella contaminated chocolate bars to be sold on the market last year.

In fact, the public recall of the chocolate was not voluntary but was forced by the regulators where 37 people fell sick and over one million chocolate bars were recalled.

Although it is rare to have salmonella implicated in chocolate, the products manufactured in England have affected 37 people between February to June 2006.

The outbreak in June 2006 prompted Cadbury to reveal their findings. In the findings, a leaking pipe was discovered that leaked waste water into the milk chocolate crumb mix. This mix is the base ingredient in several chocolate bar varieties.

On testing, the company revealed the presence of the rare strain of Salmonella, however they did not report these findings to food regulators or to instigate a public health recall.

It was not until the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) published the results of their own outbreak investigation in June 2006 that the company disclosed their findings and withdrew seven products. This amounted to over a million chocolate bars from the UK market.

In defence, the manufacturer stated in an official media release that the reason they did not initially report their contamination findings was because the low levels of microorganisms found did not warrant such an action. This was a poor response and as part of due diligence should have acted on the results initially. In most developed countries, isolation of salmonella is notifiable.

A report released in July 2006 by the Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), an expert committee that advises the FSA, responded with the statement that “the presence of Salmonella in ready-to- eat foods such as chocolate is unacceptable at any level”. The company implicated was under such pressure that it released a further statement declaring that they have changed their protocols and that any products showing traces of Salmonella, regardless of how low the levels are, will be destroyed.

Cadbury will be sentenced for the offences on the on 13 July at at Birmingham Crown Court. The company still faces other charges in a separate regional court over the same incident.

Cadbury’s failure at the time to fully adhere to the new EU-wide hygiene rules whihc is based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) analysis, serves as a warning to other processors who may also have been tardy in making sure the system is in place at all their plants.

In April this year the Birmingham City Council decided to bring the company to court for the incident, alleging the company knew about the contamination but still put the products on the market.

“Mistakenly, we did not believe that there was a threat to health and thus any requirement to report the incident to the authorities,” Cadbury said in a statement today. “We accept that this approach was incorrect. Quality has always been at the heart of our business, but the process we followed in the UK in this instance was unacceptable. We have apologised for this and do so again today.”

So far, Cadbury has spent about £20m since last year on “new and rigorous” quality control procedures to ensure any potential future incidence is eliminated.

Cadbury said it is examining the new charges and would respond at the appropriate time. A hearing is set for 24 July.

“We sincerely regret this lapse and are focused on ensuring that this can never happen again,” the company stated. “A major review has taken place of our quality, health and safety procedures globally to learn lessons and ensure that our consumers can rely on the highest levels of processes and standards wherever we operate.”

The court action targets the company’s alleged failure to report to food regulators that its microbiological testing in January last year had found a rare Salmonella strain in the chocolate products.

The products were on the market until June, when the Food Standards Agency revealed some people had fallen sick from the chocolates. Cadbury then withdrew the seven chocolate products from the UK market

The Birmingham City Council court action relates to three offences. The first charge accuses Cadbury of being in contravention of the General Food Regulations 2004.

The council alleges that, between January 19 and March 10 Cadbury “placed on the market ready-to-eat chocolate products which were unsafe, in that they were injurious to health and unfit for human consumption due to the presence of Salmonella organisms”.

The second charge alleged that Cadbury “failed to immediately inform the competent authorities that they had reason to believe that ready-to-eat chocolate products, placed on the market, may be injurious to human health due to the presence of Salmonella organisms”.

The third charge alleged that the company also “failed to identify hazards from ready-to-eat chocolate products contaminated with Salmonella and failed to identify critical control points and corrective actions in line with HACCP(Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) principles”.

Each offence carries a maximum penalty of an unlimited fine and up to two years of imprisonment for managers identified as causing the problem, the council said.

The contamination was traced to a leaking waste water pipe at the company’s plant in Marlbrook, Herefordshire. The pipe had dripped bacteria into the chocolate crumb used to make a variety of chocolate bars. The company allegedly knew about the problem since February, but fixed it without making a recall or notifying regulators.

The Health Protection Agency subsequently found a direct link between a salmonella outbreak affecting 37 people and the Cadbury chocolate.

The Health Protection Agency said interviews with 15 of the 37 people affected by an outbreak of Salmonella montevideo last year indicated that 13 of them reported eating products made by Cadbury.

The HPA also confirmed that samples taken from Cadbury’s factories showed the same Salmonella montevideo was present in January and February. The dates of the outbreak in the population was from February to June.

The HPA also noted the decrease in the frequency of cases of Salmonella montevideo following the company’s recall of a number of its chocolate products.

The HPA reported the company had discovered that waste water from a plant in Herefordshire had dripped down into the milk chocolate crumb, a mix that is blended with other ingredients to make some of the company’s chocolate bars.

The pipe was fixed but despite finding the Salmonella pathogen in some of its products, the company allegedly failed to make a recall at the time.

Cadbury claimed in a subsequent press release it did not disclose to officials that its products could be contaminated with the Salmonella montevideo strain as only ‘minute’ traces of the bacteria were found and the company deemed the risk too low.

The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) released a damning report in July 2006 in which it stated that: “The presence of salmonella in ready-to-eat foods such as chocolate is unacceptable at any level.”

The ACMSF also said that the company failed to correctly implement EU-wide guidelines laid down by international food safety codes, known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) analysis. New EU hygiene directives came into force at the start of this year, embodying HACCP principles in the bloc’s law.

“Cadbury’s risk assessment does not address the risk of Salmonella in chocolate in a way which the ACMSF would regard as a modern approach to risk assessment,” the ACMSF stated.

The findings of the report, published by the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), concluded that Cadbury had used methods of product testing that were likely to underestimate the presence of the bacteria. A negative result from the tests would not necessarily mean that the product was uncontaminated.

“Based on the information provided, Cadbury appears to have used methods for product testing which the committee considered would underestimate the level and likelihood of salmonella contamination,” the advisory committee stated in its report.

“Sample heterogeneity including clumping of bacteria will influence the MPN (most probable number) estimate and therefore the approach cannot be relied upon in foods such as chocolate.”

HACCP is a science based and systematic method of identifying specific hazards and measures for their control to ensure the safety of food. Its basic principles rest on establishing control systems that focus on prevention rather than relying mainly on end-product testing.

Following a meeting with the FSA in July, Cadbury agreed to undertake ‘remedial action’, which would involve changing cleaning regimes in the plant and stepping up testing for a wider range of products.

In a statement, Cadbury Schweppes said it was “moving to a protocol in which any product evidencing contamination is destroyed.”

According to the FSA, Cadbury has pledged to carry out a positive release system whereby products will only be released for consumption if they test negative for the salmonella bacteria.

Source

Over the past twenty years, the rapid emergence and increased prevalence of opportunistic Gram-negative bacilli demonstrating resistance to the β-lactam class of antibiotics has become a major health care crisis.

The production of β-lactamases, the innate capabilities of these organisms to genetically adapt structural and regulatory genes and the ease with which resistance genes are transferred via plasmids, transposons and integrons between different species, have broadened the ability of Gram-negative bacteria to inactivate the β-lactam antibiotics. This diminishes the clinical utility of these key anti-microbial agents making them resistant.

Extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESβLs) hydrolyse the penicillins, first-, second- and third-generation cephalosporins, especially cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime and cefpodoxime, and the oxyimino-monobactam, aztreonam.

ESβLs are inhibited by β-lactamase inhibitors, such as clavulanic acid, and are susceptible to the carbapenems (imipenem, meropenem and ertapenem) and the cephamycins (cefoxitin and cefotetan), though there have been a number of reports stating that ESβL-producing organisms can become resistant to the cephamycins due to the loss of an outer membrane porin protein (Martinéz-Martinéz et al 1996).

Since their discovery following the clinical introduction of the third-generation oxyimino-cephalosporins in 1981, there are now approximately 160 Temoneira (TEM), 100 sulfhydryl-variable (SHV), 64 cefotaxime-hydrolysing (CTX-M) and 102 oxacillinase (OXA) variant enzymes, along with a number of minor ESβL variants (Jacoby and Bush 2007).

Extensive laboratory and clinical experience exists regarding the detection and treatment of ESβL-producing Gram-negative bacilli. This suggest that the knowledge of their existence via means of antibiotic selective pressure, adaption and dissemination, may have an impact on therapeutic choices and the health and well-being of patients via targeted pragmatic antimicrobial selection and infection control practices.

It is unclear; however, if ESβL-producing organisms are being accurately detected 100% of the time. Furthermore, with the recent emergence of metallo β-lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacilli, it is also unclear whether the same mandate exists for the accurate detection, treatment and control of metallo β-lactamases. Metallo β-lactamases (MβLs) are a therapeutic disaster.

These enzymes hydrolyse all β-lactam antibiotics (except the monobactams), including the “drugs of last resort” the carbapenems (imipenem and meropenem), thus requiring the use of alternative, potentially more toxic classes of antibiotics to circumvent the hydrolytic actions of these β-lactamases.

Metallo β-lactamases, which are found in organisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter specie and members of the Enterobactericeae group such as salmonella and especially Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. They all utilise metal ions (usually zinc) to coordinate water molecules that serve as nucleophiles and hydrolyse the amide bond of the β-lactam ring, rendering the β-lactam antibiotic inactive.

These enzymes are divided into four genetically mobile variants: the older imipenem-hydrolysing (IMP) and Verona integron-encoded metallo β-lactamase (VIM) enzymes; and the more recently described Sao Paolo metallo β-lactamase (SPM) and GIM types (Poirel et al 2004).

Gram-negative bacteria that produce extended-spectrum and metallo β-lactamases are being discovered and isolated at a significant rate worldwide, while the development of new synthetic and natural antimicrobial agents to combat and elude the hydrolytic actions of these β-lactamases has significantly decreased in recent years (Valenzuela et al 2004).

Clinicians prescribing antibiotics need to know, understand and appreciate the short and long term outcomes of the inappropriate use of antibiotics for their patients, which, if not controlled and decreased, will inevitably reduce or eliminate the therapeutic options available in the future.

References

Franklin, C., Liolios, L., Peleg, A.Y. (2006). Phenotypic detection of carbapenem-susceptible metallo β-lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacilli in the clinical laboratory. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 44: 3139-3144.

Martinéz-Martinéz, L., Hernández-Allés, S., Albertí, S., Tomás, J., Benedi, V., Jacoby,G.A. (1996). In vivo selection of porin-deficient mutants of Klebsiella pneumoniae with increased resistance to cefoxitin and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 40, pp. 342-348.

Poirel, L., Heritier, C., Spicq, C., Nordmann, P. (2004). In vivo acquisition of high-level resistance to imipenem in Escherichia coli. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 42 (8), pp. 3831-3833.

Valenzuela, J., Thomas, L., Iredell, J. for Australian Society of Microbiology (ASM). (2004). Beta-lactam resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing: Methods and Practices with an Australian Perspective, 5, pp. 127-157.

Here we go again, another Vietnamese Bakery in Australia causing food poisoning with their products, the tasty Vietnamese Pork Rolls. This time it’s in the Melbourne suburb of Springvale. Unlike the previous salmonella outbreak where 18 people were hospitalized, only 4 were affected.

As a precaution, the bakery has been ordered to close after nine customers fell ill with salmonella poisoning.

Victoria’s acting chief health officer Dr Chrissie Pickin issued an order yesterday requiring the business to close. The order also requires the business owners to fully dispose of all their food and raw ingredients and thoroughly clean the premises.

Once the health investigators were satisfied that the cleanup was done satisfactorily, and that food handlers at the bakery were clear about how to handle food properly, the bakery can re-open.

Alaska Food Diagnostics claims that its Fastrak Salmonella test, can produce results six hours earlier than other comparable test methods including the TECRA and BAX.

By reducing the time of the salmonella tests, processors can save hundreds of thousands of dollars as any delays in their delivery time impacts on their efficiency.

The group of Alaskan scientists, working at UK government’s Defense Science and Technology Laboratory in Northern Ireland, have exploited adenylate kinase (AK) phage technology to develop the highly sensitive and specific fastrAK rapid assay system, the company claims.

The Fastrak Salmonella is based on established bioluminescence technology fastrAK™ which uses immunomagnetic beads to attract and isolate target pathogens and then AK-Phage® technology employs bacteriophage that infect the target organism. As the bacteriophage multiplies the bacteria rupture releasing Adenylate Kinase (AK). The AK converts ADP to ATP which reacts with luciferase to produce measurable light.

The only hurdle is passing the rigorous AOAC and AFNOR validations that proves is effectiveness and compete with other cost effective test method.

Pradip Patel, head of microbiology research and development at Alaska said the speed of the assay is a real breakthrough, along with its accuracy.

‘”We are confident it will make a significant impact in the drive for improved food safety standards” he said.

Sample pre-enrichment for 16 hours can be initiated throughout the day, ready for testing the next morning, the manufacturer said.

After just two hours, products with known quality control results can be shipped in time to meet ready-to-eat poultry standards, Alaska said.

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According to the Herald Sun, the nursing home (Broughton Hall) responsible for the dealths of 5 people due to Salmonella food poisoning has past 3 of its previous audits with a 100% compliance.

The agency responsible for accrediting nursing homes said that it would re-examine the audits to check if they were accurate.

Due to the delay in reporting and investigating the case, all tests of food taken from the kitchen failed to locate the source as the implicated food was already consumed.

A draft report of the investigation released late last month, found the home was in breach of 12 of the 44 accreditation standards. Broughton Hall has formally responded to the audit and a final report, by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency, is expected this month.

The agency today during Senate estimates hearings revealed it had given the nursing home “44 out of 44 in expected outcomes” in its last three audits. This represents a 100% compliance with the most recent audit before the outbreak had been in April last year.

Labor’s ageing spokeswoman Senator Jan McLucas asked if the agency had “gone back and looked” if its previous audits were right. She also questioned whether the failure to identify a problem earlier indicated the system was not working.

Chief executive Mark Brandon said the agency had not yet re-examined the earlier audits because its current focus was on improving Broughton Hall’s current level of compliance.

But he said it had identified a significant level of staff turnover at the facility since the most recent audit before the incident, which was a potential danger sign.

“It was in April 2006, which is a long time in aged care, I might add,” he told the Senate estimates hearings.

“There is activity that happens between the audits that looks at various things.

“But until we look at (the previous) audits, I’m not in a position to talk about the accuracy of those audits.”

Senator McLucas has previously called for Ageing Minister Christopher Pyne to explain inconsistencies in the accreditation process that would have allowed the facility to fail 12 criteria despite passing all 44 a year ago.

“Why is it that every time there has been an aged care incident reported in the media the agency will visit and find a facility has failed several accreditation outcomes but only a short time previously it would have been given a clean bill of health?,” Senator McLucas asked after the outbreak was revealed.

“There is a view in the sector that there is inconsistency in the application of the accreditation standards.”

Mr. Brandon today said the home was still within its appeal period so he could not go into details of the final report into the outbreak.

“I can summarize it by saying the audit found substantial non-compliance,” he said.

Source