Prospect of microbial food borne diseases in Pakistan: a review

An Overview of the Public Health Challenges in Diagnosing and Controlling Human Foodborne Pathogens

Pathogens found in food are believed to be the leading cause of foodborne illnesses; and they are considered a serious problem with global ramifications. During the last few decades, a lot of attention has been paid to determining the microorganisms that cause foodborne illnesses and developing new methods to identify them. Foodborne pathogen identification technologies have evolved rapidly over the last few decades, with the newer technologies focusing on immunoassays, genome-wide approaches, biosensors, and mass spectrometry as the primary methods of identification. Bacteriophages (phages), probiotics and prebiotics were known to have the ability to combat bacterial diseases since the turn of the 20th century. A primary focus of phage use was the development of medical therapies; however, its use quickly expanded to other applications in biotechnology and industry. A similar argument can be made with regards to the food safety industry, as diseases directly endanger the health of customers. Recently, a lot of attention has been paid to bacteriophages, probiotics and prebiotics most likely due to the exhaustion of traditional antibiotics. Reviewing a variety of current quick identification techniques is the purpose of this study. Using these techniques, we are able to quickly identify foodborne pathogenic bacteria, which forms the basis for future research advances. A review of recent studies on the use of phages, probiotics and prebiotics as a means of combating significant foodborne diseases is also presented. Furthermore, we discussed the advantages of using phages as well as the challenges they face, especially given their prevalent application in food safety.

Epidemiological investigation of norovirus infections in Punjab, Pakistan, through the One Health approach

Introduction

Norovirus, mainly associated with acute gastroenteritis, is very contagious and can affect a vast range of species ranging from cattle, pigs, dogs, mice, cats, sheep, and lions to humans. It is a foodborne pathogen that mainly transmits through the fecal–oral route.

Methods

This is the first-ever study conducted in Lahore and Sheikhupura districts of Punjab, Pakistan, to investigate noroviruses through the One Health approach. From January 2020 to September 2021, 200 fecal samples were collected from clinical cases of hospitalized patients and 200 fecal samples from sick animals at veterinary hospitals and local farms. In addition, 500 food and beverage samples were collected from street vendors and retail stores. A predesigned questionnaire was used to assess the risk factors and clinical characteristics of sick people and animals.

Results and discussion

Overall, 14% of the human clinical samples were positive by RT-PCR for genogroup GII. All bovine samples were negative. Food and beverage samples were tested in pools, resulting in sugarcane juice samples positive for genogroup GII. Previous contact with acute gastroenteritis patients, sex, and presence of vomiting were found to be significant risk factors (p ≤ 0.05). The substantial number of diarrhea cases associated with noroviruses calls for additional studies to investigate the epidemiology and transmission and to improve surveillance.

Naked-Eye Detection of Food-Borne Pathogens Using Multiplex Hyperbranched Rolling Circle Amplification and Magnetic Particles

Food safety is a significant public health issue in both developed and developing countries. Previous detection methods struggle to meet the current demands. We have proposed a new way to detect pathogens, allowing detection to be visualized by the naked eye. Using our newly developed assay, when target genes are present in the reaction, corresponding padlock probes form closed-loop molecules. Each reaction tube contains a pair of universal primers for identifying target genes. The ring padlock probes and corresponding universal primers start hyperbranched rolling circle amplification (HRCA) under the action of the polymerase, so as to gain branched chain amplification products, which are irreversibly entangled with magnetic particles to form aggregated magnetic particle clusters, and the detection results are visible to naked eyes. On the contrary, by using linear probes, the clustering of magnetic particles will not be produced. This method was applied to the detection of five food-borne pathogens enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), with detection limits of 1 × 10³, 1 × 10⁴, 1 × 10³, 1 × 10⁴ and 1 × 10² CFU/mL, respectively. This method can realize multiplex automatic detection of nucleic acid and shows great development potential in the field of molecular diagnosis.

Research progress on detection techniques for point-of-care testing of foodborne pathogens

The global burden of foodborne disease is enormous and foodborne pathogens are the leading cause of human illnesses. The detection of foodborne pathogenic bacteria has become a research hotspot in recent years. Rapid detection methods based on immunoassay, molecular biology, microfluidic chip, metabolism, biosensor, and mass spectrometry have developed rapidly and become the main methods for the detection of foodborne pathogens. This study reviewed a variety of rapid detection methods in recent years. The research advances are introduced based on the above technical methods for the rapid detection of foodborne pathogenic bacteria. The study also discusses the limitations of existing methods and their advantages and future development direction, to form an overall understanding of the detection methods, and for point-of-care testing (POCT) applications to accurately and rapidly diagnose and control diseases.

Application of Electrolyzed Water in the Food Industry: A Review

Electrolyzed water is a novel disinfectant and cleaner that has been widely utilized in the food sector for several years to ensure that surfaces are sterilized, and that food is safe. It is produced by the electrolysis of a dilute salt solution, and the reaction products include sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hypochlorous acid. In comparison to conventional cleaning agents, electrolyzed water is economical and eco-friendly, easy to use, and strongly effective. Electrolyzed water is also used in its acidic form, but it is non-corrosive to the human epithelium and other organic matter. The electrolyzed water can be utilized in a diverse range of foods; thus, it is an appropriate choice for synergistic microbial control in the food industry to ensure food safety and quality without damaging the organoleptic parameters of the food. The present review article highlights the latest information on the factors responsible for food spoilage and the antimicrobial potential of electrolyzed water in fresh or processed plant and animal products.

Synergistic Effect of Lithocholic Acid with Gentamicin against Gram-Positive Bacteria but Not against Gram-Negative Bacteria

Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is an important Gram-positive food-borne pathogen that severely threatens public health. A checkerboard microdilution method was performed to evaluate the synergistic effect of lithocholic acid (LCA) with Gentamicin (Genta) against L. monocytogenes. BacLight LIVE/DEAD staining, scanning electron microscopy and biofilm inhibition assays were further used to explore the bactericidal effect and antibiofilm effect of this combination on L. monocytogenes. Additionally, the synergistic effects of LCA derivatives with Genta were also evaluated against L. monocytogenes, S.aureus and S. suis. The results indicated that a synergistic bactericidal effect was observed for the combined therapy of LCA at the concentration without affecting bacteria viability, with Genta. Additionally, LCA in combination with Genta had a synergistic effect against Gram-positive bacteria (L. monocytogenes, S. aureus and S. suis) but not against Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, A. baumannii and Salmonella). BacLight LIVE/DEAD staining and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the combination of LCA with Genta caused L. monocytogenes membrane injury, leading to bacteria death. We found that 8 μg/mL LCA treatment effectively improved the ability of Genta to eradicate L. monocytogenes biofilms. In addition, we found that chenodeoxycholic acid, as a cholic acid derivative, also improved the bactericidal effect of Genta against Gram-positive bacteria. Our results indicate that LCA represents a broad-spectrum adjuvant with Genta for infection caused by L. monocytogenes and other Gram-positive pathogens.

One Health Paradigm to Confront Zoonotic Health Threats: A Pakistan Prospective

The emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases significantly impact human health, particularly those who live in impoverished areas and have close contact with domestic or wild animals. Nearly 75% of zoonotic diseases are transmitted directly from animals to humans or indirectly via vector/agent interactions between animals and humans. Growing populations, globalization, urbanization, and the interaction of the environment with humans and livestock all play roles in the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases. "One Health" is a multidisciplinary concept aimed at improving human, animal, and environmental health, but this concept is not widely accepted in developing countries. In Pakistan, environmental, human, and animal health are severely affected due to a lack of sufficient resources. This review article provides an overview of the most common zoonotic diseases found in Pakistan and emphasizes the importance of the "One Health" concept in managing these diseases. Given the current situation, interdisciplinary research efforts are required to implement and sustain effective and long-term control measures in animal, human, and environmental health surveillance and accurate diagnostic methods.

Monitoring of Insecticides resistance against cotton Jassid (Amrasca biguttutla biguttutla) under laboratory conditions

Development of insecticides resistance mainly hinge with managements techniques for the control of Jassid, Amrasca biguttutla biguttutla. Five insecticides were applied against field collected and laboratory rared jassid populations during the years of 2017 to 2019 to profile their resistance level against field population of jassid through leaf dip method. Very low resistance level was found in jassid against confidor whereas high level of resistance was observed by pyriproxyfen against other test insecticides. Gradual resistance was observed against diafenthiuron. It is concluded that for the management of Jassid repetition of same insecticide should be avoided. The use of confidor may be reduced to overcome resistance against Jassid.

Pressure and Temperature Combined With Microbial Supernatant Effectively Inactivate Bacillus subtilis Spores

Spores from the Bacillus species pose a challenge to the food industry because of their ubiquitous nature and extreme resistance. Accumulated evidence indicates that it is effective to induce spore germination homogenously before killing them. However, it is difficult to obtain and apply exogenous germination factors, which will affect food composition. Therefore, this study screened endogenous germinants from microorganisms by assessing the effect of Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and Streptococcus thermophilus cultures (cell-free) on B. subtilis spore germination. The results showed that the supernatants from these five microorganisms induced spore germination instead of sediments. Moreover, the supernatants of E. coli, B. subtilis, and S. cerevisiae exhibited higher germination rates than L. plantarum and S. thermophilus, and the induction effects were concentration-dependent. Furthermore, plate counting confirmed that the microbial supernatants induced the lowest spore germination ratio on strains B. subtilis FB85 [germination receptors (GRs) mutant] but not strains B. subtilis PB705 (PrkC mutant). In addition, B. subtilis and S. cerevisiae supernatants, combined with pressure and temperature, were effective in spore inactivation. The findings suggested that microbial supernatants may include agents that induce spore germination and may be used for spore inactivation.