General Bacteriology

According to Badger et al 2012, Clostridium difficile may be found in the normal flora in some healthy individuals. Some persons, however, have selective risk factors which turns them susceptible  to the morbidity and mortality of the diarrhoea caused by this bacteria. [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]

Berni Canniri et al 2011 explain  links among early nutrition, epigenetic processes and diseases  in later life, suggesting that maternal and neonatal diet may have long-lasting effects in the development of diseases such as  insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, development and function of gut microbiota. [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]

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]

Every growing season bacterial and viral outbreaks linked to cantaloupe are reported. Food poisoning outbreaks linked to CantalupCantaloupe-linked infections are top 5 of the list of fruits and vegetables for outbreaks. This is largely due to their growing conditions and the potential to support the growth of bacteria.

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]

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]

Xanthomonas oryzae specie includes the two non-European rice pathogens Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola. It is a species of proteobacteria. The major host of the bacteria is rice. Host resistance gene, Xa21, from Oryza longistaminata is integrated into the genome of Oryza sativa for the board range resistance of rice blight disease caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae. [1]

Shiping Wang and his group describe genes associated with response to increasing temperature. They note that  these genes are closely related to the disease resistance gene Rice Xa3/Xa26 encoding a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) receptor kinase-type protein against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. [1]