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Africa: Biology of emergent Salmonella exposed30 Nov 2009Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute [edited][FSNet]Researchers have characterised a new multi drug resistant strain of Salmonella Typhimurium that is causing life-threatening disease in Africa.This type of Salmonella bug normally causes diarrhoea and is rarely fatal. The new strain infects vulnerable children and adults in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa leading to death in up to one in four cases.The new genome work shows how genetic changes transformed this infection into a new antibiotic-resistant form of the disease. The new strain, called ST313, appears to be better adapted to affect humans, is resistant to several commonly used antibiotics and may spread from person to person.The team studied approximately 50 samples of the bacterial DNA, extracted from blood samples of African patients with severe symptoms of infection and also suffering HIV, malaria, malnutrition or anaemia. The team's findings suggest that ST313 may be spreading by a new method, not seen before in S. Typhimurium. This pathogen normally circulates among animals and is introduced to humans through food poisoning. It spends much of its time in the animal hosts. However, ST313 may be passing predominantly from person to person and so can adapt more rapidly to its human hosts: it doesn't spend time acquiring mutations to help it thrive in the animal host, but on the contrary may be losing them. This is likely to have helped seal its success and helped it to become the dominant strain among humans.Multi drug resistant ST313 has swept through humans in remarkable fashion: in an 18-month period beginning in 2002, it came to represent 95 per cent of S. Typhimurium isolates identified in Africa. However, antibiotic-sensitive versions of the same strain may have been evolving in regions of Africa for many decades.Two ST313 isolates in available databases come from outside Africa - one from India and one from the UK. Strikingly, both were from severe invasive disease. Invasive cases are very, very rare outside certain regions of Africa. The researchers don't know whether the additional cases were from travellers to Africa or know the immune status of the patients.Tracking the transmission pathways and the emergence of new strains can most effectively be done using new sequencing technologies to spot the tiny differences - single letter changes - in the genetic code. The completion of this new high-quality S. Typhimurium reference genome for the emergent ST313 strain opens the door for such investigations in the future. Mauritius- Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in Mauritius linked to consumption of marlin mousse06 Jul 2009Foodborne Pathogens and Disease [edited][FSNet]Researchers report the first outbreak of salmonellosis caused by consumption of contaminated marlin mousse. Between 29 October and 5 November 2008, at least 53 persons developed diarrheal illness, all with a history of eating marlin mousse. Salmonella spp. that did not produce gas from glucose was isolated from stools of 26 affected patients and blood culture from one patient. Salmonella sp. isolates with the same phenotype were isolated in three samples of marlin mousse manufactured on 27 October 2008. The constituents of the mousse were smoked marlin, raw eggs, bovine gelatin, oil, and cream. A laboratory investigation of one sample of marlin mousse manufactured 3 days later, and the individual ingredients sampled a week after production of the contaminated batch were all negative for Salmonella. Serotyping and minimum inhibitory concentration determination were performed on 12 patient isolates related to the outbreak and two mousse isolates. All isolates belonged to Salmonella serovar Typhimurium and were pansusceptible to all antimicrobials tested. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that all the isolates were indistinguishable, thus implicating the mousse as the vehicle of the outbreak. An assessment of the safety of street foods in the GA District of Ghana, implications for the spread of zoonoses May 2009 [EatSafeGhana] (1) Veterinary Services Department, Accra, GHANA (2) School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, GHANA (3) Department of Animal Science, University of Ghana, Legon, GHANA Abstract Street food refers to food and beverages prepared and sold by vendors in streets and other public places for immediate consumption. In Ghana, street foods are sold at small eating places popularly known as 'chop bars'. Food safety studies were conducted on the premises of 160 'chop bars' in the Ga District of Ghana in July 1998. Only three (1.8%) of the proprietors met all the requirements (based on a five-point checklist) for basic hygiene. Twenty-four (15%) out of the 160 proprietors had access to potable water while the other 136 (85%) proprietors purchased water from vendors and six used pond water. These two latter sources of water were of poor microbiological quality (as shown by faecal coliform values which ranged from 1.0 x 102-1.9 × 105 cfu/ml). One hundred and five proprietors (65.6%) did not obtain their meat supply from an approved source. Factors influencing the purchase of meat from an approved source included the proximity of a chop bar to a slaughter facility, the conduct of meat inspection personnel and affordable user fees. South Africa - Prevalence and characterization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates from meat and meat products sold in Amathole District, Eastern Cape Province 01 Apr 2009 Food Microbiology, Volume 26, Issue 2, April 2009, Pages 173-176 Science Direct.com Meat and meat products have been implicated in outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in most parts of the world. In the Amathole District Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, a large number of households consume meat and meat products daily, although the microbiological quality of these types of food is questionable. The present study investigated the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 isolated from selected meat and meat products (45 samples each of biltong, cold meat, mincemeat, and polony) sold in this area. Strains of E. coli O157:H7 were isolated by enrichment culture and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Also investigated were the antibiogram profiles of the E. coli O157:H7 isolates. Five (2.8%) out of 180 meat and meat products examined were positive for E. coli O157:H7 that carried the fliCH7, rfbEO157, and eaeA genes. Two of the E. coli O157:H7 isolates were resistant against all the eight antibiotics tested. To prevent E. coli O157:H7 infections, meat and meat products such as biltong, cold meat, mincemeat and polony should be properly handled, and packed in sterile polyvinyl wrappers. Kenya - Prevalence and factors associated with aflatoxin contamination of peanuts from Western Kenya 15 Mar 2009
International Journal of Food Microbiology, Volume 130, Issue 1, 15 March 2009, Pages 27-34 C.K. Mutegi, H.K. Ngugi, S.L. Hendriks and R.B. Jones Aflatoxin contamination of peanuts poses a risk to human health and has been identified as a major constraint to trade in eastern Africa. A survey was carried out to obtain baseline data on levels of aflatoxin in peanuts from major production regions in western Kenya. A total of 384 and 385 samples from Busia and Homabay districts, respectively, were obtained and analyzed for aflatoxin content with an indirect competitive ELISA protocol. Levels of aflatoxin ranged from 0 to 2688 and 7525 µg/kg in samples from Busia and Homa Bay, respectively. Of 769 samples, 87.01% contained < 4 µg/kg of aflatoxin, 5.45% were in the range ≥ 4 and 20 µg/kg, while 7.54% exceeded the Kenya's regulatory limit of 20 µg/kg. There was a highly significant (χ2 = 14.17; P < 0.0002) association between district of origin and sample aflatoxin levels. This observation was supported by a significant (χ2 = 11.98; P = 0.0005) association between levels of aflatoxin and agro ecological zones. Only 3.26% of the samples from the dryer LM3 zone had > 20 µg/kg compared with 10.28% of the samples from the wetter and humid LM1 zone. There was also a highly significant (χ2 = 9.73; P = 0.0018) association between cultivar improvement status and aflatoxin levels. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds for peanuts from Busia being contaminated were 2.6 times greater than those for peanuts from Homabay. Planting improved cultivars would lower the odds of contamination to a half (odds ratio = 0.552) those for local landraces. These results are discussed in relation to the risk of human exposure to aflatoxins and the need for proper sampling procedures for regulatory purposes. Cameroon – Central African Republic – Food poisoning - Cassava 10 Mar 2009 All Africa [edited] [Promed] According to this story, the consumption of toxic compounds with improperly prepared cassava with high cyanogenic potential has caused disastrous consequences in some regions of Cameroon and the Central African Republic, provoking an outbreak of Konzo, a new disease that causes paralysis of both legs. The French-based humanitarian Non-governmental Organization, Medicins Sans Frontires and the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported the disease in August last year [2008] in the East and Adamawa regions of Cameroon. It is reported that health experts and researchers say Konzo occurs abruptly within minutes or hours in previously healthy persons whose diets consist almost exclusively of foods from roots of bitter cassava which have not been properly processed. General symptoms of the disease include deafness, blindness, aggravated goiter, partial or total paralysis of arms and cranial nerves, and acute cyanide intoxication, which appears 4-6 hours after consumption and consists of vomiting, collapse and, in some cases, death. The story goes on by explaining that in order to overcome the outbreak of the disease in Cameroon and the Central African Republic, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) took the initiative to organize a meeting of stakeholders at IITA-Nkolbisson last Tues 3 Mar 2009 to identify strategic preventive measures and approaches to eliminate the disease. Experts drawn from health and research institutions, international NGOs, UN agencies and universities, including representatives of partner organizations (IITA, IRAD, FAO, CRS, PNDRT, MINADER, MINSANTE, MINRESI, UNICEF, CODAS Bertoua, SARB Batouri, Universities of Buea, Ngaoundre and Yaound 1) brainstormed and identified strategic preventive measures and approaches to eliminate Konzo as well as build potential partnerships. In effect, the meeting brought up a multi-faceted proposal including a baseline survey and sensitization campaign, introduction of improved cassava varieties with low cyanogenic potential, reduction in malnutrition, and empowerment of local communities in post harvest processing options and capacity building. Ghana - Environmental, sanitation awareness among caterers low -Tapena 17 January 2009 My Joy On line Mr. Francis Tapena, acting Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), expressed worry about low awareness on best environmental and sanitation practices among caterers in the country. He said consequently, the Board in collaboration with Ghana Traditional Caterers Association (GTCA), has been organising public awareness programmes and training for their members to improve upon sanitation and hygiene. Mr. Tapena said that the GTB has since 2004 trained an average of 700 operators in the catering sector annually. He was speaking in an interview with GNA in Sunyani on Thursday, after attending a meeting with stakeholders in the catering sector drawn from the region. The meeting organised by the Brong Ahafo Regional executives of the association, was aimed at explaining to participants the need for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover the yearly mandatory medical health screening and related issues. They included representatives from Sunyani Municipal Health Directorate, Regional office of the NHIS and the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit of the Regional Health Directorate. Mr. Tapena said that the coverage would help minimize the incidence of communicable diseases that could deter customers in particular and the general public from patronizing the services of Caterers. He after the event “Qualified staff should in turn pass on their skills to their untrained colleagues.” Mr. Tapena appealed to the association to ensure that members and non-members registered with the GTB to enable them to obtain license so that they could benefit from the Board’s training programmes. He said the GTB has also been assisting the association “to address the issue of multiplicity of taxes from various government agencies which affect their cost of doing business.” Mr. Tapena praised GTCA for initiating plans to address inequalities in the execution of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). He advised members of GTCA “to employ in the interim persons who have already registered with the NHIS and maintain core qualified staff.” Mr. Casely Hayford Ababio, regional president of the association, was dissatisfied that “the NHIS is not covering the screening and its attendant requirements which is a prerequisite for operating a catering service.” He said, however, that about 60-70 per cent of Ghanaians including tourists patronised the services of caters on daily basis. Mr. Ababio said “the inclusion of members of the association on the benefit list will motivate a lot if not all operators to undergo the mandatory screening, which will eventually reduce if not overcome the menace of communicable diseases that affects the health of the people.” Dr. David Opare, Sunyani Municipal Director of Health Services, said that the NHIS was taking into account public health interventions but only dealt with sick people and emphasized that, “it is not yet ripe to address public health interventions.” He advised GTCA to ensure that members registered with the NHIS and pay their social security contributions as well, so that they would be automatically covered by the scheme. Sources and Terms of Use
International Journal of Food Microbiology, Volume 130, Issue 1, 15 March 2009, Pages 27-34 C.K. Mutegi, H.K. Ngugi, S.L. Hendriks and R.B. Jones Aflatoxin contamination of peanuts poses a risk to human health and has been identified as a major constraint to trade in eastern Africa. A survey was carried out to obtain baseline data on levels of aflatoxin in peanuts from major production regions in western Kenya. A total of 384 and 385 samples from Busia and Homabay districts, respectively, were obtained and analyzed for aflatoxin content with an indirect competitive ELISA protocol. Levels of aflatoxin ranged from 0 to 2688 and 7525 µg/kg in samples from Busia and Homa Bay, respectively. Of 769 samples, 87.01% contained < 4 µg/kg of aflatoxin, 5.45% were in the range ≥ 4 and 20 µg/kg, while 7.54% exceeded the Kenya's regulatory limit of 20 µg/kg. There was a highly significant (χ2 = 14.17; P < 0.0002) association between district of origin and sample aflatoxin levels. This observation was supported by a significant (χ2 = 11.98; P = 0.0005) association between levels of aflatoxin and agro ecological zones. Only 3.26% of the samples from the dryer LM3 zone had > 20 µg/kg compared with 10.28% of the samples from the wetter and humid LM1 zone. There was also a highly significant (χ2 = 9.73; P = 0.0018) association between cultivar improvement status and aflatoxin levels. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds for peanuts from Busia being contaminated were 2.6 times greater than those for peanuts from Homabay. Planting improved cultivars would lower the odds of contamination to a half (odds ratio = 0.552) those for local landraces. These results are discussed in relation to the risk of human exposure to aflatoxins and the need for proper sampling procedures for regulatory purposes. Cameroon – Central African Republic – Food poisoning - Cassava 10 Mar 2009 All Africa [edited] [Promed] According to this story, the consumption of toxic compounds with improperly prepared cassava with high cyanogenic potential has caused disastrous consequences in some regions of Cameroon and the Central African Republic, provoking an outbreak of Konzo, a new disease that causes paralysis of both legs. The French-based humanitarian Non-governmental Organization, Medicins Sans Frontires and the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported the disease in August last year [2008] in the East and Adamawa regions of Cameroon. It is reported that health experts and researchers say Konzo occurs abruptly within minutes or hours in previously healthy persons whose diets consist almost exclusively of foods from roots of bitter cassava which have not been properly processed. General symptoms of the disease include deafness, blindness, aggravated goiter, partial or total paralysis of arms and cranial nerves, and acute cyanide intoxication, which appears 4-6 hours after consumption and consists of vomiting, collapse and, in some cases, death. The story goes on by explaining that in order to overcome the outbreak of the disease in Cameroon and the Central African Republic, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) took the initiative to organize a meeting of stakeholders at IITA-Nkolbisson last Tues 3 Mar 2009 to identify strategic preventive measures and approaches to eliminate the disease. Experts drawn from health and research institutions, international NGOs, UN agencies and universities, including representatives of partner organizations (IITA, IRAD, FAO, CRS, PNDRT, MINADER, MINSANTE, MINRESI, UNICEF, CODAS Bertoua, SARB Batouri, Universities of Buea, Ngaoundre and Yaound 1) brainstormed and identified strategic preventive measures and approaches to eliminate Konzo as well as build potential partnerships. In effect, the meeting brought up a multi-faceted proposal including a baseline survey and sensitization campaign, introduction of improved cassava varieties with low cyanogenic potential, reduction in malnutrition, and empowerment of local communities in post harvest processing options and capacity building. Ghana - Environmental, sanitation awareness among caterers low -Tapena 17 January 2009 My Joy On line Mr. Francis Tapena, acting Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), expressed worry about low awareness on best environmental and sanitation practices among caterers in the country. He said consequently, the Board in collaboration with Ghana Traditional Caterers Association (GTCA), has been organising public awareness programmes and training for their members to improve upon sanitation and hygiene. Mr. Tapena said that the GTB has since 2004 trained an average of 700 operators in the catering sector annually. He was speaking in an interview with GNA in Sunyani on Thursday, after attending a meeting with stakeholders in the catering sector drawn from the region. The meeting organised by the Brong Ahafo Regional executives of the association, was aimed at explaining to participants the need for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover the yearly mandatory medical health screening and related issues. They included representatives from Sunyani Municipal Health Directorate, Regional office of the NHIS and the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit of the Regional Health Directorate. Mr. Tapena said that the coverage would help minimize the incidence of communicable diseases that could deter customers in particular and the general public from patronizing the services of Caterers. He after the event “Qualified staff should in turn pass on their skills to their untrained colleagues.” Mr. Tapena appealed to the association to ensure that members and non-members registered with the GTB to enable them to obtain license so that they could benefit from the Board’s training programmes. He said the GTB has also been assisting the association “to address the issue of multiplicity of taxes from various government agencies which affect their cost of doing business.” Mr. Tapena praised GTCA for initiating plans to address inequalities in the execution of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). He advised members of GTCA “to employ in the interim persons who have already registered with the NHIS and maintain core qualified staff.” Mr. Casely Hayford Ababio, regional president of the association, was dissatisfied that “the NHIS is not covering the screening and its attendant requirements which is a prerequisite for operating a catering service.” He said, however, that about 60-70 per cent of Ghanaians including tourists patronised the services of caters on daily basis. Mr. Ababio said “the inclusion of members of the association on the benefit list will motivate a lot if not all operators to undergo the mandatory screening, which will eventually reduce if not overcome the menace of communicable diseases that affects the health of the people.” Dr. David Opare, Sunyani Municipal Director of Health Services, said that the NHIS was taking into account public health interventions but only dealt with sick people and emphasized that, “it is not yet ripe to address public health interventions.” He advised GTCA to ensure that members registered with the NHIS and pay their social security contributions as well, so that they would be automatically covered by the scheme. Sources and Terms of Use
