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Landscape and meteorological factors affecting prevalence of three food-borne pathogens in fruit and vegetable farms.

ABSTRACT: Produce-related outbreaks have been traced back to the preharvest environment. A longitudinal study was conducted on five farms in New York State to characterize the prevalence, persistence, and diversity of food-borne pathogens in fresh produce fields and to determine landscape and meteorological factors that predict their presence. Produce fields were sampled four times per year for 2 years. A total of 588 samples were analyzed for Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). The prevalence measures of L. monocytogenes, Salmonella, and STEC were 15.0, 4.6, and 2.7%, respectively. L. monocytogenes and Salmonella were detected more frequently in water samples, while STEC was detected with equal frequency across all sample types (soil, water, feces, and drag swabs). L. monocytogenes sigB gene allelic types 57, 58, and 61 and Salmonella enterica serovar Cerro were repeatedly isolated from water samples. Soil available water storage (AWS), temperature, and proximity to three land cover classes (water, roads and urban development, and pasture/hay grass) influenced the likelihood of detecting L. monocytogenes. Drainage class, AWS, and precipitation were identified as important factors in Salmonella detection. This information was used in a geographic information system framework to hypothesize locations of environmental reservoirs where the prevalence of food-borne pathogens may be elevated. The map indicated that not all croplands are equally likely to contain environmental reservoirs of L. monocytogenes. These findings advance recommendations to minimize the risk of preharvest contamination by enhancing models of the environmental constraints on the survival and persistence of food-borne pathogens in fields.

SUBMITTER: Strawn LK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3553790 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Landscape and meteorological factors affecting prevalence of three food-borne pathogens in fruit and vegetable farms.

Strawn Laura K LK Fortes Esther D ED Bihn Elizabeth A EA Nightingale Kendra K KK Gröhn Yrjö T YT Worobo Randy W RW Wiedmann Martin M Bergholz Peter W PW

Applied and environmental microbiology 20121109 2

Produce-related outbreaks have been traced back to the preharvest environment. A longitudinal study was conducted on five farms in New York State to characterize the prevalence, persistence, and diversity of food-borne pathogens in fresh produce fields and to determine landscape and meteorological factors that predict their presence. Produce fields were sampled four times per year for 2 years. A total of 588 samples were analyzed for Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Shiga toxin-producing ...[more]

PMID: 23144137

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Project description:BackgroundThe main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of nine vector-borne pathogens or pathogen genera in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in the Netherlands, and to identify which host variables predict vector-borne pathogen presence in roe deer. The host variables examined were the four host factors 'age category', 'sex', 'nutritional condition' and 'health status', as well as 'roe deer density'.MethodsFrom December 2009 to September 2010, blood samples of 461 roe deer were collected and analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of genetic material from Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp., Babesia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), Borrelia miyamotoi, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Rickettsia spp., and epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), and by commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antibodies against bluetongue virus (BTV). The possible associations of host factors and density with pathogen prevalence and co-infection, and in the case of A. phagocytophilum with bacterial load, were assessed using generalized linear modelling.Results and conclusionAnalysis revealed the following prevalence in roe deer: A. phagocytophilum 77.9%, Bartonella spp. 77.7%, Babesia spp. 17.4%, Rickettsia spp. 3.3%, B. burgdorferi sensu lato 0.2%. Various co-infections were found, of which A. phagocytophilum and Bartonella spp. (49.7% of infected roe deer) and A. phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp. and Babesia spp. (12.2% of infected roe deer) were the most common. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia spp., and co-infection prevalence were significantly higher in calves than in adult roe deer, whereas the prevalence of Bartonella spp. was lower in roe deer in good nutritional condition than in deer in poor nutritional condition. Local roe deer density was not associated with pathogen presence. The high prevalence of A. phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp., and Babesia spp. is evidence for the role of roe deer as reservoirs for these pathogens. Additionally, the results suggest a supportive role of roe deer in the life-cycle of Rickettsia spp. in the Netherlands.

Project description:BackgroundChanging the choice architecture in post-secondary food service contexts to "nudge" customers to choose more fruits and vegetables (FV) shows promise in intervention studies to date. If such approaches are to become more widely adopted, they must be feasible and acceptable to food service managers. Among possible early adopters, managers of food services in post-secondary education institutions may have unique insights on implementation of such approaches, as they have dual mandates to support student health and maintain profitability.ObjectiveThe goal of this exploratory study was to examine current knowledge, practice, facilitators, and barriers to uptake of nudge strategies promoting FV in a sample of post-secondary food service managers.MethodsA qualitative telephone interview study was undertaken with food service managers across Canada (n = 10 institutions), recruited from a national professional organization. One or more representatives from each institution completed the interview. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and underwent framework descriptive and interpretative content analysis in NVivo (QSR International). Münscher's Taxonomy of Choice Architecture and the Ottawa Model for Research Use guided development and analysis.ResultsManagers from 9 universities and 1 technical college participated. Local context, governance, and resources varied widely. Eight of 10 institutions used some form of FV nudging as part of their marketing and health promotion, most commonly to reduce the effort associated with choosing FV. Nudging strategies aimed at increasing the range and composition of FV offerings, providing a social reference (opinion leaders) for choosing FV, and changing consequences with loyalty cards were also common. Other nudging strategies were used infrequently. Cost, operational ease of implementation, and students' privacy and choices were critical issues in adoption.ConclusionsThe results can inform development and testing of locally adapted nudge interventions. It is critical that managers be involved from the outset of any planned academic implementation study.

Dataset Information

Landscape and meteorological factors affecting prevalence of three food-borne pathogens in fruit and vegetable farms.

Publications

Landscape and meteorological factors affecting prevalence of three food-borne pathogens in fruit and vegetable farms.

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