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Tong W, Yang D, Qiu S, Tian S, Ye Z, Yang S, Yan L, Li W, Li N, Pei X, Sun Z, Liu C, Peng S, Li Y, Wang Q, Peng Z. Relevance of genetic causes and environmental adaptation of Cronobacter spp. isolated from infant and follow-up formula production factories and retailed products in China: A 7-year period of continuous surveillance based on genome-wide analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174368. [PMID: 38955273 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The possible contamination routes, environmental adaptation, and genetic basis of Cronobacter spp. in infant and follow-up formula production factories and retailed products in mainland China have been determined by laboratory studies and whole-genome comparative analysis in a 7-year nationwide continuous surveillance spanning from 2012 to 2018. The 2-year continuous multicenter surveillance of the production process (conducted in 2013 and 2014) revealed that the source of Cronobacter spp. in the dry-blending process was the raw dry ingredients and manufacturing environment (particularly in the vibro sieve and vacuum cleaner), while in the combined process, the main contamination source was identified as the packing room. It is important to note that, according to the contamination control knowledge obtained from the production process surveillance, the contamination rate of retail powdered infant formula (PIF) and follow-up formula (FUF) products in China decreased significantly from 2016 onward, after improving the hygiene management practices in factories. The prevalence of Cronobacter spp. in retailed PIF and FUF in China in 2018 was dramatically reduced from 1.55 % (61/3925, in 2012) to an average as low as 0.17 % (13/7655 in 2018). Phenotype determination and genomic analysis were performed on a total of 90 Cronobacter spp. isolates obtained from the surveillance. Of the 90 isolates, only two showed resistance to either cefazolin or cefoxitin. The multilocus sequence typing results revealed that C. sakazakii sequence type 1 (ST1), ST37, and C. malonaticus ST7 were the dominant sequence types (STs) collected from the production factories, while C. sakazakii ST1, ST4, ST64, and ST8 were the main STs detected in the retailed PIF and FUF nationwide. One C. sakazakii ST4 isolate (1.1 %, 1/90) had strong biofilm-forming ability and 13 isolates (14.4 %, 13/90) had weak biofilm-forming ability. Genomic analysis revealed that Cronobacter spp. have a relatively stable core-genome and an increasing pan-genome size. Plasmid IncFIB (pCTU3) was prevalent in this genus and some contained 14 antibacterial biocide- and metal-resistance genes (BMRGs) including copper, silver, and arsenic resistant genes. Plasmid IncN_1 was predicted to contain 6 ARGs. This is the first time that a multi-drug resistance IncN_1 type plasmid has been reported in Cronobacter spp. Genomic variations with respect to BMRGs, virulence genes, antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), and genes involved in biofilm formation were observed among strains of this genus. There were apparent differences in copies of bcsG and flgJ between the biofilm-forming group and non-biofilm-forming group, indicating that these two genes play key roles in biofilm formation. The findings of this study have improved our understanding of the contamination characteristics and genetic basis of Cronobacter spp. in PIF and FUF and their production environment in China and provide important guidance to reduce contamination with this pathogen during the production of PIF and FUF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Tong
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Traceability of Foodborne Diseases, Jiangxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Dajin Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Shaofu Qiu
- Chinese PLA Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Sai Tian
- Chinese PLA Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Zehong Ye
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China; School of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang City, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Shuran Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Lin Yan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Weiwei Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Ning Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Xiaoyan Pei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China
| | - Zhongqing Sun
- Qingdao Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Chengwei Liu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Traceability of Foodborne Diseases, Jiangxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Silu Peng
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Traceability of Foodborne Diseases, Jiangxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Ying Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China.
| | - Qi Wang
- Chinese PLA Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing City, PR China.
| | - Zixin Peng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing City, PR China; Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, Peking Union Medical College; Research Unit of Food Safety, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, PR China.
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Ekundayo TC, Ijabadeniyi OA. Global and regional prevalence of Cronobacter sakazakii in powdered milk and flour. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6865. [PMID: 38514864 PMCID: PMC10957878 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57586-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter sakazakii (Cz) infections linked with powdered milk/flour (PMF) are on the increase in recent times. The current study aimed at assessing worldwide and regional prevalence of Cz in PMF. Cz-PMF-directed data were conscientiously mined in four mega-databases via topic-field driven PRISMA protocol without any restriction. Bivariate analysis of datasets was conducted and then fitted to random-intercept logistic mixed-effects regressions with leave-one-study-out-cross-validation (LOSOCV). Small-study effects were assayed via Egger's regression tests. Contributing factors to Cz contamination/detection in PMF were determined using 1000-permutation-bootstrapped meta-regressions. A total of 3761 records were found out of which 68 studies were included. Sample-size showed considerable correlation with Cz positivity (r = 0.75, p = 2.5e-17), Milkprod2020 (r = 0.33, p = 1.820e-03), and SuDI (r = - 0.30, p = 4.11e-03). The global prevalence of Cz in PMF was 8.39% (95%CI 6.06-11.51, PI: 0.46-64.35) with LOSOCV value of 7.66% (6.39-9.15; PI: 3.10-17.70). Cz prevalence in PMF varies significantly (p < 0.05) with detection methods, DNA extraction method, across continents, WHO regions, and world bank regions. Nation, detection method, world bank region, WHO region, and sample size explained 53.88%, 19.62%, 19.03%, 15.63%, and 9.22% of the true differences in the Cz prevalence in PMF, respectively. In conclusion, the results indicated that national will power in the monitoring and surveillance of Cz in PMF matched with adequate sample size and appropriate detection methods will go a long way in preventing Cz contamination and infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Temitope C Ekundayo
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Durban University of Technology, Steve Biko Campus, Steve Biko Rd, Musgrave, Berea, Durban, South Africa.
| | - Oluwatosin A Ijabadeniyi
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Durban University of Technology, Steve Biko Campus, Steve Biko Rd, Musgrave, Berea, Durban, South Africa
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Cechin CDF, Carvalho GG, Bastos CP, Kabuki DY. Cronobacter spp. in foods of plant origin: occurrence, contamination routes, and pathogenic potential. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2023; 63:12398-12412. [PMID: 35866516 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2101426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Cronobacter is an emerging bacterial pathogen associated with infections such as necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, and meningitis in neonates and infants, related to the consumption of powdered infant formula. In addition, this bacterium can also cause infections in adults by the ingestion of other foods. Thus, this review article aims to report the occurrence and prevalence of Cronobacter spp. in foods of plant origin, as well as the possible sources and routes of contamination in these products, and the presence of pathogenic strains in these foods. Cronobacter was present in a wide variety of cereal-based foods, vegetables, herbs, spices, ready-to-eat foods, and foods from other categories. This pathogen was also found in cultivation environments, such as soils, compost, animal feces, rice and vegetable crops, as well as food processing industries, and domestic environments, thus demonstrating possible contamination routes. Furthermore, sequence types (ST) involved in clinical cases and isolates resistant to antibiotics were found in Cronobacter strains isolated from food of plant origin. The identification of Cronobacter spp. in plant-based foods is of great importance to better elucidate the vehicles and routes of contamination in the primary production chain and processing facility, until the final consumption of the food, to prevent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carine da Fonseca Cechin
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Food Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Guimarães Carvalho
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Food Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Peixoto Bastos
- Center of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Dirce Yorika Kabuki
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Food Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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Wang L, Wu P, Su Y, Wei Y, Guo X, Yang L, Wang M, Liu B. Detection of Genus and Three Important Species of Cronobacter Using Novel Genus- and Species-Specific Genes Identified by Large-Scale Comparative Genomic Analysis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:885543. [PMID: 35722305 PMCID: PMC9201440 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.885543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Cronobacter includes seven species; however, the strains of Cronobacter sakazakii, Cronobacter malonaticus, and Cronobacter turicensis were highly correlated with clinical infections. Rapid and reliable identification of these three species of Cronobacter is important in monitoring and controlling diseases caused by these bacteria. Here, we identified four pairs of novel marker genes for the Cronobacter genus, C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, and C. turicensis based on large-scale comparative genomic analysis from 799 Cronobacter and 136,146 non-Cronobacter genomes, including 10 Franconibacter and eight Siccibacter, which are close relatives of Cronobacter. Duplex and multiplex PCR methods were established based on these newly identified marker genes. The reliability of duplex and multiplex PCR methods was validated with 74 Cronobacter and 90 non-Cronobacter strains. Strains of C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, and C. turicensis could be detected accurately at both the genus and species level. Moreover, the newly developed methods enable us to detect 2.5 × 103 CFU/ml in pure culture. These data indicate that the accurate and sensitive established methods for Cronobacter can serve as valuable tools for the identification of these strains recovered from food, environmental, and clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.,Institute of Infection and Inflammation, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.,Medical College, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Pan Wu
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yingying Su
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi Wei
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xi Guo
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Dairy Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot, China
| | - Min Wang
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Bin Liu
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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5
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Insights into the mechanisms of Cronobacter sakazakii virulence. Microb Pathog 2022; 169:105643. [PMID: 35716925 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Cronobacter species have adapted to survive harsh conditions, particularly in the food manufacture environment, and can cause life-threatening infections in susceptible hosts. These opportunistic pathogens employ a multitude of mechanisms to aid their virulence throughout three key stages: environmental persistence, infection strategy, and systemic persistence in the human host. Environmental persistence is aided by the formation of biofilms, development of subpopulations, and high tolerance to environmental stressors. Successful infection in the human host involves several mechanisms such as protein secretion, motility, quorum sensing, colonisation, and translocation. Survival inside the host is achieved via competitive acquisition and utilization of minerals and metabolites respectively, coupled with host immune system evasion and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mechanisms. Across the globe, Cronobacter sakazakii is associated with often fatal systemic infections in populations including neonates, infants, the elderly and the immunocompromised. By providing insight into the mechanisms of virulence utilised by this pathogen across these three stages, this review identifies current gaps in the literature. Further research into these virulence mechanisms is required to inform novel mitigation measures to improve global food safety with regards to this food-borne pathogen.
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Fei P, Jing H, Ma Y, Dong G, Chang Y, Meng Z, Jiang S, Xie Q, Li S, Chen X, Yang W. Cronobacter spp. in Commercial Powdered Infant Formula Collected From Nine Provinces in China: Prevalence, Genotype, Biofilm Formation, and Antibiotic Susceptibility. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:900690. [PMID: 35711752 PMCID: PMC9197194 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.900690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Cronobacter spp. in commercial powdered infant formula (PIF) from nine provinces in China from March 2018 to September 2020, and to reveal the genotype, biofilm-forming ability, and antibiotic susceptibility of these isolates. A total of 27 Cronobacter strains, consisting of 22 Cronobacter sakazakii strains, 3 Cronobacter malonaticus strains, 1 Cronobacter turicensis strain, and 1 Cronobacter dublinensis strain, were isolated from 3,600 commercial PIF samples with a prevalence rate of 0.75%. Compared with the other 8 provinces, PIF from Shaanxi province had a higher prevalence rate (1.25%) of Cronobacter spp. These isolates were divided into 14 sequence types (STs), and 6 Cronobacter serotypes. The main Cronobacter STs were ST4, ST1, and ST64, and the dominant Cronobacter serotype was C. sakazakii serotype O2. Approximately 88.89% of Cronobacter isolates had a strong ability (OD595 > 1) to form biofilms on tinplate, among which the strains with ST4 were more dominant. All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin-sulbactam, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, sulfadiazine, sulfadoxine, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and colistin, while 55.56 and 96.30% isolates were resistant to cephalothin and vancomycin, respectively. Taken together, our findings highlighted the contamination status and characterization of Cronobacter spp. in commercial PIF from nine provinces of China, and provided guidance for the effective prevention and control of this pathogen in the production of PIF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Fei
- School of Zhang Zhongjing Health Care and Food, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang, China
| | - He Jing
- School of Zhang Zhongjing Health Care and Food, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang, China
| | - Yan Ma
- School of Zhang Zhongjing Health Care and Food, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang, China
| | - Gege Dong
- School of Zhang Zhongjing Health Care and Food, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang, China
| | - Yunhe Chang
- Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering Institute, Guiyang University, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhaoxu Meng
- Inner Mongolia Meng Niu Dairy Industry (Group) Co. Ltd. R&D Center, Hohhot, China
| | | | - Qinggang Xie
- Heilongjiang Feihe Dairy Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Shuzhen Li
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Institute of Integrated Agricultural Development Research, Guizhou Academy of Agriculrural Sciences, Guiyang, China
| | - Weiwei Yang
- The Department of Food Science, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
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Fei P, Xing M, Feng Y, Liu S, Chang Y, Wang Y, Yu Y, Shi E, Zhang Y, Bian X, Chen J. Occurrence, Molecular Characterization, and Antibiotic Resistance of Cronobacter sakazakii in Goat Milk-Based Infant Formula from Shaanxi Province, China. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2022; 19:304-310. [PMID: 35447050 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2021.0095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Cronobacter sakazakii in goat milk-based infant formula (GIF) collected from Shaanxi Province, China, and reveal the molecular characterization and antibiotic resistance profile of these isolates. A total of 750 GIF samples were collected from the retail markets in 5 cities in Shaanxi Province from February 2019 to February 2021. Molecular characterization was investigated using multilocus sequence typing and O-antigen serotyping. Antibiotic resistance of C. sakazakii isolates was assessed using antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Thirty-two strains of C. sakazakii were isolated from GIF samples with a prevalence rate of 4.27% and were divided into 16 sequence types (STs); among them, ST4 (6/32, 18.75%) and ST21 (5/32, 15.63%) were dominant. Five C. sakazakii serotypes (O2, O1, O7, O4, and O3) were detected, and C. sakazakii serotype O2 (15/32, 46.88%) was the main. Of the 21 antimicrobials, isolates showed higher resistance against cephalothin (87.5%), amoxicillin (25%), azithromycin (18.75%), oxytetracycline (18.75%), ampicillin (12.5%), and streptomycin (12.5%). In addition, three isolates were found to be resistant to three antimicrobials. These findings revealed the potential epidemiological risk and characterization of C. sakazakii in GIF from Shaanxi Province, China, and provided reference data for the effective prevention and control of C. sakazakii in powdered infant formula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Fei
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.,School of Zhang Zhongjing Health Care and Food, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang, China.,College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Min Xing
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Yage Feng
- School of Zhang Zhongjing Health Care and Food, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang, China
| | - Shun Liu
- School of Zhang Zhongjing Health Care and Food, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang, China
| | - Yajing Chang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Yao Wang
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Yaping Yu
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Encong Shi
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Yaqing Zhang
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xin Bian
- Key Laboratory of Food Science and Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, College of Food Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin, China
| | - Junliang Chen
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
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8
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Rahman M, Islam MA, Das KC, Salimullah M, Mollah MZI, Khan RA. Effect of gamma radiation on microbial load, physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of common spices for storage. JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2021; 58:3579-3588. [PMID: 34366475 PMCID: PMC8292502 DOI: 10.1007/s13197-021-05087-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The effect of gamma radiation on the decontamination of microbial population, physico-chemical, radiation sensitivity and sensory characteristics of common spices for storage were evaluated. Spices were irradiated with gamma doses of 0 (as control), 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 kGy, packed in the glass vials and stored at room temperature (22 ± 2°C) in the laboratory. In this research, Bacillus, Salmonella and Listeria species were identified in un-irradiated spice samples. Results also indicated that gamma radiation reduced the total microbial population compared to control and optimum gamma radiation doses (6 kGy for red chili and turmeric; 4 kGy for cumin, coriander, garlic and black pepper; 2 kGy for ginger powder samples) were identified for decontamination of the organisms in the studied spices. It was concluded that no significant differences before and after gamma radiation were observed in physico-chemical, nutritional and sensory properties but significantly changed in microbial load in spices samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahfuzur Rahman
- Department of Nuclear Science & Engineering, Military Institute of Science and Technology, Dhaka, 1216 Bangladesh
| | - M. A. Islam
- Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Savar, Dhaka, 1349 Bangladesh
| | - Keshob C. Das
- National Institute of Biotechnology, Savar, Dhaka, 1349 Bangladesh
| | - Md. Salimullah
- National Institute of Biotechnology, Savar, Dhaka, 1349 Bangladesh
| | - M. Z. I. Mollah
- Institute of Radiation and Polymer Technology, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Savar, Dhaka, 1349 Bangladesh
| | - Ruhul A. Khan
- Institute of Radiation and Polymer Technology, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Savar, Dhaka, 1349 Bangladesh
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Wang L, Forsythe SJ, Yang X, Fu S, Man C, Jiang Y. Invited review: Stress resistance of Cronobacter spp. affecting control of its growth during food production. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:11348-11367. [PMID: 34364644 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Members of the Cronobacter genus include food-borne pathogens that can cause infections in infants, with a mortality rate as high as 40 to 80%. The high fatality rate of Cronobacter and its isolation from numerous types of food, especially from powdered infant formula, demonstrate the serious nature of this organism. The source tracking of Cronobacter spp. and the analysis of high-frequency species from different sources are helpful for a more targeted control. Furthermore, the persistence during food processing and storage may be attributed to strong resistance of Cronobacter spp. to environment stresses such as heat, pH, and desiccation. There are many factors that support the survival of Cronobacter spp. in harsh environments, such as some genes, regulatory systems, and biofilms. Advanced detection technology is helpful for the strict monitoring of Cronobacter spp. In addition to the traditional heat treatment, many new control techniques have been developed, and the ability to control Cronobacter spp. has been demonstrated. The control of this bacteria is required not only during manufacture, but also through the selection of packaging methods to reduce postprocessing contamination. At the same time, the effect of inactivation methods on product quality and safety must be considered. This review considers the advances in our understanding of environmental stress response in Cronobacter spp. with special emphasis on its implications in food processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China, 150030
| | - Stephen J Forsythe
- Foodmicrobe.com, Adams Hill, Keyworth, Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG12 5GY
| | - Xinyan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China, 150030
| | - Shiqian Fu
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China, 150030
| | - Chaoxin Man
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China, 150030.
| | - Yujun Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China, 150030.
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Gan X, Li M, Yan S, Wang X, Wang W, Li F. Genomic Landscape and Phenotypic Assessment of Cronobacter sakazakii Isolated From Raw Material, Environment, and Production Facilities in Powdered Infant Formula Factories in China. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:686189. [PMID: 34354686 PMCID: PMC8329244 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.686189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter is a foodborne pathogen associated with severe infections and high mortality in neonates. The bacterium may also cause gastroenteritis, septicemia, and urinary tract and wound infectious in adults. A total of 15 Cronobacter isolates collected from 617 raw materials and environment samples from Powdered Infant Formula manufacturing factories during 2016 in Shaanxi, China, were analyzed for antimicrobial susceptibilities, species identification, biofilm formation, and whole-genome sequencing. The results showed that all 15 isolates were Cronobacter sakazakii, while the antimicrobial susceptibility test showed that all 15 C. sakazakii were pan susceptible. Most isolates were able to produce a weak biofilm, and two isolates from soil samples produced a strong biofilm formation. All isolates were classified into seven STs including ST4, ST40, ST64, ST93, ST148, ST256, and ST494, with ST64 (4/15, 26.7%) being dominant, and most were clinically related. The isolates harbored at least 11 virulence genes and two plasmids, with one isolate being positive for all virulence genes. Phylogenetic and ANI analysis showed strong clustering by sequence types and isolates from different sources or regions with a similar genomic background. The fact that isolates were obtained from raw materials and environment samples of PIF facilities shared a close phylogeny with one another suggests that cross-contamination events may have occurred between the processing room and external environments, which may give rise to a recurring risk of a continuous contamination during production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Gan
- Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, National Health Commission, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
| | - Menghan Li
- Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, National Health Commission, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
| | - Shaofei Yan
- Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, National Health Commission, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, National Health Commission, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, National Health Commission, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
| | - Fengqin Li
- Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, National Health Commission, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
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11
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Arslan S, Ertürk HG. Occurrence, Virulence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Cronobacter spp. from Ready-to-Eat Foods. Curr Microbiol 2021; 78:3403-3416. [PMID: 34241669 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-021-02585-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. can cause foodborne diseases in infants, but Cronobacter infections in healthy adults and vulnerable people have also been reported. These bacteria have ubiquitous nature and can contaminate various foods. Therefore, we assessed the presence of Cronobacter spp. in popularly consumed ready-to-eat (RTE) food products. In the present study, 51 (15%) of the 340 RTE food samples were contaminated with Cronobacter spp The highest contamination rates were found in spices (46.7%), meat-free cig koftes (44.4%), desserts (23.3%), cereals (23.1%), doners (12.2%), and ice cream (11.1%). Phenotypic and molecular methods, including 16S rRNA, gluA, rpoB, cgcA genes, and fusA allele sequencing were tested to identify Cronobacter species. Of the 51 contaminated samples, 54 isolates were identified as C. sakazakii (n = 43), C. malonaticus (n = 7), C. muytjensii (n = 3) and C. turicensis (n = 1) using fusA analysis. These isolates were assigned to 15 different fusA alleles, two of which (191 and 192) were new alleles. Putative virulence factors such as the ompA and zpx gene, biofilms, and siderophores were detected in most of the Cronobacter isolates (> 85%). Cronobacter isolates were resistant to cephalothin (85.2%), cefoxitin (33.3%), cefotaxime (14.8%), ampicillin (11.1%), cefepime (5.6%), aztreonam (5.6%), and piperacillin (1.9%). The multidrug resistance (against three or more classes of antimicrobial agents) was 7.4%. The results indicated presence of Cronobacter spp. in RTE foods, which may be a risk to human health. It is important to adopt rigorous hygiene and sanitization practices to ensure the microbiological safety of these foods consuming without any processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seza Arslan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University, Gölköy, 14030, Bolu, Turkey.
| | - Hafize Gizem Ertürk
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University, Gölköy, 14030, Bolu, Turkey
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12
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Shang Y, Ye Q, Wu Q, Pang R, Zhou B, Wang C, Xiang X, Li F, Wang J, Zhang Y, Wang J, Sun X, Zhang J. PCR and multiplex PCR assays for the detection of Cronobacter species using specific targets obtained by a bioinformatics approach. Food Control 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.107896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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13
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Zeng H, Li C, Luo D, Zhang J, Ding Y, Chen M, Yang X, Lei T, Wu S, Ye Q, Pang R, Gu Q, Wu Q. Novel phage vB_CtuP_B1 for controlling Cronobacter malonaticus and Cronobacter turicensis in ready-to-eat lettuce and powered infant formula. Food Res Int 2021; 143:110255. [PMID: 33992361 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are important foodborne pathogens that are a threat to people of all ages, but especially neonates and infants. Bacteriophages are biological agents that are potentially useful for the control of foodborne pathogens. However, there has been little research on the control of C. malonaticus and C. turicensis using bacteriophages. In the present study, a novel lytic phage vB_CtuP_B1 (hereafter referred to as B1)-which can simultaneously lyse C. malonaticus and C. turicensis- was isolated from river water in Guangzhou, China, and was used in the control of Cronobacter contaminated food. The phage has a short tail, and has been identified as a new species of Kayfunavirus based on genomic and phylogenetic analyses. One-step growth and stability assays revealed that phage B1 has a very short latent period (<5 min) and a large burst size (4006 pfu/cell), and is highly stable between 25 and 60 °C and between pH 5 and 11. Its genome encodes two lytic proteins, but does not contain any genes responsible for antibiotic resistance and virulence factors. In broth, the phage B1 completely inhibited the growth of C. malonaticus cro2475W and C. turicensis cro1541A1-1 for up to 6 h. On lettuce, phage B1 reduced the viable count of C. turicensis cro1541A1-1 to below the detection limit for bacteria on lettuce (<10 cfu/mL) after 6 h at 4 °C and 2 h at 25 °C, and also significantly reduced the viable count of C. malonaticus cro2475W at those temperatures. In powdered infant formula, the viable counts of both the phage-treated bacterial hosts were significantly reduced after 2 h of storage at 4 °C or 37 °C. Furthermore, phage B1 reduced the viable count of C. turicensis cro1541A1-1 to below the detection limit (<10 cfu/mL) from 4 h to 24 h at 37 °C. It significantly inhibited the growth of C. turicensis cro1541A1-1 than that of C. malonaticus cro2475W (P < 0.05). In conclusion, phage B1 with high stability and strong lytic ability is potentially useful for controlling C. malonaticus and C. turicensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Chengsi Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Dandan Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Jumei Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Moutong Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Xiaojuan Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Tao Lei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Shi Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Qinghua Ye
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Rui Pang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Qihui Gu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Qingping Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
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14
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Costa PV, Vasconcellos L, Forsythe SJ, Brandão MLL. Diversity of Cronobacter genus isolated between 1970 and 2019 on the American continent and genotyped using multi-locus sequence typing. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2021; 368:6156629. [PMID: 33677554 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the Cronobacter spp. strains isolated on the American continent and characterized using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) available in the PubMLST database and current literature. From 465 Cronobacter spp. strains, the majority (n = 267, 57.4%) was from North America, mainly from USA (n = 234) and 198 (42.6%) were from South America, mainly from Brazil (n = 196). A total of 232 (49.9%) were isolated from foods, 102 (21.9%) from environmental, 87 (18.7%) from clinical, 27 (5.8%) from PIF, one from water (0.2%) and 16 (3.5%) from unknown sources. A total of five species were represented: Cronobacter sakazakii (374, 80.4%), Cronobacter malonaticus (41, 8.8%), Cronobacter dublinensis (29, 6.2%), Cronobacter turicensis (16, 3.5%) and Cronobacter muytjensii (5, 1.1%). The strains with complete MLST profile (n = 345) were assigned to 98 STs, a ratio of 3.5 strain by ST found and the calculated Simpson`s index was 0.93. The strains showed a high diversity and after eBURST analysis, 30 STs (n = 189) formed 12 single and/or double-locus variant clonal complexes (CC). A total of 38 STs (38.7%) were associated with clinical cases of infection, including well established C. sakazakii CC 1, 4, 8 and 83; C. malonaticus ST60, 307, 394 and 440; and C. sakazakii ST 12 and 494.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luiza Vasconcellos
- Department of Quality Control, Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz, Avenida Brasil n.º 4365, Brazil
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Ling N, Jiang Y, Zeng H, Ding Y, Forsythe S. Advances in our understanding and distribution of the Cronobacter genus in China. J Food Sci 2021; 86:276-283. [PMID: 33438222 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.15577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This review considers how research in China has progressed our understanding and subsequent improved control of Cronobacter. This emergent bacterial pathogen is associated with neonatal infections through the ingestion of contaminated prepared feed. The review includes large-scale surveys of various sources of the organism, including infant formula production facilities. The analysis of over 20,000 samples is presented. Over 10,000 being from powdered infant formula and other infant foods as well as environmental sampling of production facilities, the remaining being from food, food ingredients, and human carriage. A major advance in China was adopting DNA-sequence-based methods (that is, multilocus sequence typing, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-cas array profiling, and single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis) for the identification and genotyping of the organism. These methods have considerably advanced our understanding of the taxonomy, ecology, and virulence of this organism. In turn, this has improved source tracking of the organism both in infant formula production facilities and epidemiological investigations. Furthermore, whole-genome sequencing has revealed a range of virulence and persistence mechanisms as well as plasmid-borne multidrug resistance traits. China now has reliable and robust methods for accurate microbial source tracking of Cronobacter for use both in the food production environment and epidemiological analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Ling
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China.,Guangdong Institute of Microbiology & Guangdong Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application & Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Yujun Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Haiyan Zeng
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology & Guangdong Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application & Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, College of Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
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