Food Related Diseases

Jourdain et al. 2007 analysed the influence of wild bird migration routes and risk for pathogen dispersion. Birds can move fast over large distances, such as the the arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea), which travels  up to 50,000 km between Antarctica and northern Scandinavia during a period of one year. During their migration birds carry pathogens that can be transmitted between species at breeding, wintering, and stopover places. [1]

Humblet et al 2012 prioritized 100 animal diseases and zoonoses in Europe using 57 prioritization criteria. The method of disease prioritization has been defined as the “organization of listed diseases into a hierarchy, considering their respective impacts”. Five aspects of a pathogen were considered: epidemiology, prevention/control, effects on economy/trade, zoonotic characteristics, and effect on society. [1]

The German Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut discovered the Schmallenberg virus which caused an undetermined disease in animals  in late 2011. Sheep, cattle and goats presented fever, decreased milk production, and diarrhea, malformed newborn animals and stillborn calves, goats an lambs. A study leaded by Martin Beer used metagenomic analysis to identify the  novel orthobunyavirus. The epidemic spread from Germany to the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain. [1]

Vetander et al. 2012 reviewed  medical records of a paediatric emergency department, in Stockholm County/Sweden, related to incidence of anaphylaxis

Clostridium difficile infections are related to food infections and 94% are healthcare contamination. The current epidemic strain of Clostridium difficile is the BI/NAP1/027, toxinotype III strain. This strain is more virulent than foregoing strains. It has an increased toxin A and B production, polymorphisms in binding domain of toxin B, and presents increased sporulation. [1]

Mena et al 2012 report the development of  new competitive R5 ELISA which uses the extracting solution called UPEX (universal prolamin and glutelin extractant solution). The authors claim that the new assay produces  better results than the sandwich R5 ELISA for detecting gliadins quantitatively in hydrolysed foods, and may be used forcomplete gluten analysis in any kind of food. [1]

The Center for Science in the Public Interest  CSPI points out that eating raw oysters or other shellfish contaminated with deadly Vibrio vulnificus bacteria present a serious health risk. The contaminated oysters are mainly harvested from the Gulf Coast region, especially during the warmer summer months. [1]

CDC  reports the detection in humans of the virus H3N2v, which is a variant of the HaN2 virus having  genes from avian, swine, and human influenza viruses. The new virus had acquired  acquired the matrix (M) gene from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus [1]

Magni et al. 2012 describe a novel serine-endopeptidase activity with cleavage specificity to twin-arginine pairs (-R-R-) in mature dry Lupinus albus seeds. The authors suggest that the activity of the novel endopeptidase is essential for degradation at germination and generates polypeptide fragments with specific biological activity. [1]

Lupinosis is a mycotoxicosis caused by the ingestion of toxins produced by the fungus Diaporthe toxica (Phomopsis leptostromiformis) which grows on lupin plants.  Allen and Randall 1993 found that in addition to being an hepatotoxicity, lupinosis also resulted in injury to muscle, kidney and adrenal cortex. [1]