The emergence of multidrug‐resistant Shigella is a significant threat to global public health. Limited studies have investigated the incidence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and genetic diversity of Shigella isolated from food products. Conventional culture‐based, serologic, molecular, disk diffusion, PCR, and RAPD‐PCR methods were used to determine the prevalence rate, phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic resistance profile, and genetic diversity of the Shigella isolates from food samples including vegetable salad, ground meat, and raw cow's milk (405 samples). The prevalence rate of Shigella in food samples was 4.44%. The incidence of S. sonnei (3.7%) was higher than that of S. flexneri (0.74%). S. dysenteriae and S. boydii were not detected in food samples examined. Also, no Shigella were recovered from raw cow's milk. This study showed that the Shigella isolates were resistant to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (83.3%), amoxicillin (66.6%), streptomycin (66.6%), tetracycline (61.1%), ampicillin (50%), amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (50%), azithromycin (50%), and chloramphenicol (50%) and completely sensitive to cefoxitin, cefepime, amikacin, and gentamicin. All Shigella isolates were multidrug‐resistant. We detected bla_SHV resistance gene in all isolates; however, no isolate harbored bla_TEM gene. RAPD‐PCR categorized the Shigella isolates into five main clusters. The highest antibiotic resistance was observed in the isolates of cluster R4. The finding of this study also indicated an association between antimicrobial resistance profiles and genotyping properties of the isolates. Novel food monitoring systems, including surveillance of multidrug‐resistant foodborne pathogens, especially in developing countries, are required to control the foodborne diseases.

Background: Cronobacter sakazakii is a new emerging foodborne bacterial pathogen associated with severe lethal diseases such as meningitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and septicemia in infants and neonates. Powdered infant formula milk (PIFM) has been recognized as one of the main transmission vehicles and contaminated sources of this pathogen. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence rate, genotypic and phenotypic antibiotic resistance profile, and clonal relatedness of C. sakazakii strains isolated from 364 PIFM samples collected from Tehran city, Iran. Methods: Culture-based methods, Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion antibiotic resistance testing, conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR) assays were used in this study to detect and characterize the C. sakazakii isolates. Results: We isolated 25 C. sakazakii strains from PIFM samples (6.86%). The isolates were highly resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, amoxicillin, ampicillin, cefoxitin, cefepime, erythromycin, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, and chloramphenicol and susceptible to gentamicin, tetracycline, norfloxacin, and azithromycin antibiotics. The blaCTX-M-1 gene was detected in 96% of the isolates. The isolates were categorized into eight distinct clonal types using the ERIC-PCR method, showing a high genetic diversity among the isolates. However, there was a significant correlation between the genotypic and phenotypic antibiotic resistance properties of the isolates. Conclusions: Novel microbial surveillance systems for detecting multi-drug-resistant C. sakazakii are required to control the contamination of this foodborne pathogen in infant foods.

Background: Probiotics have been used for dairy products such as yogurt and yogurt drinks, however cholesterol content and lactose intolerance are important drawbacks. Recently, consumption of non-dairy probiotic food especially for probiotic drink products has been intensified. Objectives: This research was conducted to determine the suitability of peach as a raw material for producing probiotic peach juice by lactic acid bacteria. Materials and Methods: Peach juice was inoculated with a 24-hour-old lactic acid bacteria culture and incubated at 30°C. Changes in the pH, titratable acidity, sugar content, and viable cell counts during fermentation under controlled conditions were monitored. Viability of lactic acid bacteria cultures in fermented peach juice was also measured during four weeks of cold storage at 4°C. Results: Lactobacillus delbrueckii grew well in peach juice, reached nearly 10 × 10⁹ CFU/mL, after 48 hours of fermentation at 30 °C and was capable of more sugar consumption, pH inclination and production of lactic acid during fermentation. After four weeks of cold storage at 4 °C, the viable cell counts of L. delbrueckii were 1.72 × 10⁷ CFU/mL, in fermented peach juice. Lactobacillus casei could not survive in fermented fruit juice after the cold storage. Conclusions: In conclusion, L. delbrueckii in peach juice was appropriate to produce a probiotic beverage. Therefore, this juice can serve as a healthy beverage for vegetarians and lactose-allergic consumers. Keywords: Fermentation; Probiotic; Cultures

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis, a soil-transmitted helminth, occurs in humans, non-human primates, dogs, cats and wild canids. The zoonotic potential between these hosts is not well understood with data available on prevalence primarily focused on humans. To increase knowledge on prevalence, this review and meta-analysis was performed to estimate the global status ofS. stercoralisinfections in dogs.Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, online literature published prior to November 2020 was obtained from multiple databases (Science Direct, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar). Prevalence was calculated on a global and country level, by country income and climate, and in stray/animal shelter dogs versus owned dogs. Statistical analyses were conducted using R-software (version 3.6.1).Results: From 9428 articles, 61 met the inclusion criteria. The estimated pooled global prevalence ofS. stercoralisin dogs was 6% (95% CI 3–9%). Infection was found to be the most prevalent in low-income countries with pooled prevalence of 22% (95% CI 10–36%). The highest pooled prevalence ofS. stercoralisin dogs was related to regions with average temperature of 10–20 °C (6%; 95% CI 3–11%), an annual rainfall of 1001–1500 mm (9%; 95% CI 4–15%) and humidity of 40–75% (8%; 95% CI 4–13%). Prevalence was higher in stray and shelter dogs (11%; 95% CI 1–26%) than in owned dogs (3%; 95% CI 1–7%).Conclusions: As withS. stercoralisin humans, higher prevalence in dogs is found in subtropical and tropical regions and lower-income countries, locations which also can have high dog populations. While this study presents the first estimated global prevalence ofS. stercoralisin dogs, it is potentially an underestimation with 15 of 61 studies relying on diagnostic methods of lower sensitivity and a paucity of data from most locations. Standardized protocols (e.g. quantity of feces and number of samples for a Baermann) in future studies could improve reliability of results. More prevalence studies and raising veterinary awareness ofS. stercoralisare needed for a One Health approach to protect humans and dogs from the impact of the infection.Graphical

Cronobacter sakazakii, an opportunistic foodborne pathogen and a main cause of meningitis in neonates, is usually isolated from powdered milk infant formula (PMIF). At the present study, C. sakazakii were isolated from imported and domestically produced PMIF samples and identified by detection of ompA gene using real‐time PCR SYBR green melting curve following the evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibility and genotyping of the isolates employing BOX‐PCR and RAPD methods. We detected totally 5% contamination rate and a significantly higher prevalence of C. sakazakii in bulky imported domestically packaged PMIF samples. Also, our isolates were recognized as multidrug‐resistant pathogen completely resistant to ampicillin and amoxicillin; and intermediately resistant to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline antimicrobials. Genotype clustering patterns of bulky imported and imported product isolates were identical by both genotyping methods. Far genetic relatedness of domestic isolate to other isolates and the reference strain indicated higher genetic diversity of the domestic isolate genome. Multidrug resistance and diverse population genetic make complicated situation for determination of strategies for infectious disease prevention.