Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the etiological agent behind hepatitis E infection. Domestic pigs and wild boars are the main animal reservoirs of HEV. Very few papers describe HEV infection in goats and sheep. As the data pertaining to the presence of HEV virus in the milk of small ruminants in Europe are lacking, the aim of this paper was to examine a representative number of milk samples from these animals. The detection of HEV genome (HEV RNA) was performed using reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). HEV RNA was found in 2.8% of the examined samples. Positivity ranged from 10¹ to 10³ genome equivalents/mL (GE/mL) with a median of 9.99 × 10² GE/mL. On the basis of these results, the milk of small ruminants could represent a source of HEV infection to consumers.

A large variety of cheeses can be produced using different manufacturing processes and various starter or adjunct cultures. In this study, we have described the succession of the microbial population during the commercial production and subsequent ripening of smear-ripened cheese using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The composition of the microbiota during the first 6 days of production was constant and consisted mainly of LAB (lactic acid bacteria) originating from the starter culture. From day 7, the proportion of LAB decreased as other bacteria from the production environment appeared. From the 14th day of production, the relative proportion of LAB decreased further, and at the end of ripening, bacteria from the environment wholly dominated. These adventitious microbiota included Psychrobacter, Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis/hodoensis, Vibrio toranzoniae, and Vibrio litoralis (Proteobacteria phylum), as well as Vagococcus and Marinilactibacillus (Firmicutes phylum), Psychrilyobacter (Fusobacteria phylum), and Malaciobacter marinus (Campylobacterota phylum), all of which appeared to be characteristic taxa associated with the cheese rind. Subsequent analysis showed that the production and ripening of smear-ripened cheese could be divided into three stages, and that the microbiota compositions of samples from the first week of production, the second week of production, and supermarket shelf life all differed.

Smear-ripened cheeses are distinguished by their complex microbiota, which play an important role in ripening, flavour development, texture and microbiological safety. Although commercial production typically relies on defined starter and adjunct cultures, microorganisms from the production environment may also shape the product’s characteristics. This study examined the microbial composition of smear-ripened cheeses from six commercial manufacturers using culture and culture-independent techniques, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing and sequencing of internal transcribed spacers. A limited number of microorganisms was recovered by culture, with 37 different isolates identified across all samples. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacers revealed 75 and 7 distinct operational taxonomic units, respectively. The microbiota composition reflected the contribution of both mesophilic and thermophilic starter and adjunct cultures, alongside microorganisms originating from the production environment. These included various psychrotrophic bacteria, marine (i.e., osmotolerant) bacteria, and other halophiles from Proteobacteria (Psychrobacter, Pseudoalteromonas, Marinomonas, and Vibrio), Firmicutes (Vagococcus and Marinilactibacillus), Actinobacteriota (Glutamicibacter), Bacteroidota (Winogradskyella and Brumimicrobium), Campylobacterota (Malaciobacter) and Fusobacteriota (Psychrilyobacter) specific to the environment of particular manufacturers. The results indicate that, although pasteurised milk and defined starter cultures are used in commercial production, microorganisms originating from the cheese factory environment form a substantial part of the microbiota of smear-ripened cheese.

Cultivation-based assays represent the gold standard for the assessment of virus infectivity; however, they are time-consuming and not suitable for every virus type. Pre-treatment with platinum (Pt) compounds followed by real-time PCR has been shown to discriminate between infectious and non-infectious RNA viruses. This study examined the effect of Pt and palladium (Pd) compounds on enveloped DNA viruses, paying attention to two significant pathogens of livestock - bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) and African swine fever virus (ASFV). Native or heat-treated BoHV-1 suspension was incubated with the spectrum of Pt/Pd com-pounds. Bis(benzonitrile)palladium(II) dichloride (BB-PdCl2) and dichloro(1,5-cyclooctadiene) palladium(II) (PdCl2-COD) produced the highest differences found between native and heat--treatedviruses. Optimized pre-treatment conditions (1 mM of Pd compound, 15 min, 4 & DEG;C) were applied on both virus genera and the heat inactivation profiles were assessed. A significant decrease in the detected quantity of BoHV-1 DNA and ASFV DNA after heat-treatment (60 & DEG;C and 95 & DEG;C) and consequent incubation with Pd compounds was observed. BB-PdCl2 and PdCl2-COD could help to distinguish between infectious and non-infectious enveloped DNA viruses such as BoHV-1 or ASFV.