Fermented foods, particularly fermented dairy products, offer significant health benefits but also present serious concerns. Probiotic bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB), found in these foods have been strongly linked to the selection and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study aims to examine the potential risks associated with fermented foods, despite their importance in human nutrition, by analyzing the entire production chain from raw material acquisition to storage. Focusing on cheese production as a key fermented food, the study will investigate various aspects, including dairy farm management, milk acquisition, milk handling, and the application of good manufacturing practices (GMP) and good hygiene practices (GHP) in cheese production. The findings of this review highlight that ARGs found in LAB are similar to those observed in hygiene indicator bacteria like E. coli and pathogens like S. aureus. The deliberate use of antibiotics in dairy farms and the incorrect use of disinfectants in cheese factories contribute to the prevalence of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria in cheeses. Cheese factories, with their high frequency of horizontal gene transfer, are environments where the microbiological diversity of raw milk can enhance ARG transfer. The interaction between the raw milk microbiota and other environmental microbiotas, facilitated by cross‐contamination, increases metabolic communication between bacteria, further promoting ARG transfer. Understanding these bacterial and ARG interactions is crucial to ensure food safety for consumers.

Malaria continues to be a significant public health burden in many tropical and subtropical regions. Mozambique ranks among the top countries affected by malaria, where it is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for 29% of all hospital deaths in the general population and 42% of deaths amongst children under five. This review presents a comparative analysis of data on five critical genes associated with antimalarial drug resistance: pfmdr1, pfcrt, pfk13, pfdhfr, and pfdhps, along with the copy number variation (CNV) in genes pfmdr1 and pfpm2/3. These are genes associated with parasite response to antimalarials currently used to treat uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Mozambique. The review synthesizes data collected from published studies conducted in Mozambique after the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) (2006) up to June 2024, highlighting the presence or absence of mutations in these genes across Mozambique. We aimed at mapping the prevalence and distribution of these molecular markers across the country in order to contribute to the development of targeted interventions to sustain the efficacy of malaria treatments in Mozambique. Four databases were used to access the articles: PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google scholar. The search strategy identified 132 studies addressing malaria and antimalarial resistance. Of these, 112 were excluded for various reasons, leaving 20 studies to be included in this review. Children and pregnant women represent the majority of target groups in studies on all types of antimalarials. Most studies (87.5%) were conducted in the provinces of Maputo and Gaza. The primary alleles reported were pfcrt CVMNK, and in the most recent data, its wild-type form was found in the majority of patients. A low prevalence of mutations in the pfk13 gene was identified reflecting the effectiveness of ACTs. In pfk13, only mutation A578S was reported in Niassa and Tete. CNVs were observed in studies carried out in the south of Mozambique, with a frequency of 1.1–5.1% for pfmdr1 and a frequency of 1.1–3.4% for pfpm2. This review indicates that molecular markers linked to malaria resistance show considerable variation across provinces in Mozambique, with most up-to-date data accessible for Maputo and Gaza. In contrast, provinces such as Zambezia and Inhambane have limited data on several genes, while Nampula lacks data on all drug resistance markers.

Salmonellosis, an infectious disease caused by the Salmonella species, encompasses a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from mild self‐limiting gastroenteritis to severe systemic infections. It affects millions of people annually, causing immense morbidity and economic losses worldwide. This study aims to evaluate the occurrence of Salmonella in water and raw foods, focusing on meat, fish, shellfish, and vegetables consumed in the city of Nampula, north of Mozambique. A total of 81 samples of meat, fish and shellfish, vegetables, and water were collected from nine of the ten municipal markets in Nampula City. Salmonella detections were performed according to ISO 6579‐1. A chi‐square test was performed in the Python programming language to detect associations between positive samples and market localization. The results showed a high frequency of Salmonella. From the total sample, 38.5% were Salmonella positive. Fresh vegetables were the most contaminated samples, followed by fish, shellfish, raw meat, and water. The outcomes of this study did not find an association between the sample collection location and the test results for Salmonella. In this study, serovars of Salmonella were not identified which hinders the association of Salmonella occurrence with diseases. Consequently, we propose that the next study should focus on detecting the serotypes of Salmonella strains.

Malaria continues to be a significant public health burden in many tropical and subtropical regions. Mozambique ranks among the top countries affected by malaria, where it is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for 29% of all hospital deaths in the general population and 42% of deaths amongst children under five. This review presents a comparative analysis of data on five critical genes associated with antimalarial drug resistance: pfmdr1, pfcrt, pfk13, pfdhfr and pfdhps, along with copy number variation (CNV) in genes pfmdr1 and pfpm2/3. These are genes associated with parasite response to currently used for antimalarials to treat uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Mozambique. The review synthesizes data collected from published studies conducted in Mozambique after the introduction of ACTs (2006) up to June 2024, highlighting the presence or absence of mutations in these genes across Mozambique. We aimed at mapping the prevalence and distribution of these molecular markers, across the country, in order to contribute to the development of targeted interventions to sustain the efficacy of malaria treatments in Mozambique. Four databases were used to access the articles: PubMed, Science direct, Scopus and Google scholar. The search strategy identified 132 studies addressing malaria and antimalarial resistance. Of these, 112 were excluded for various reasons, leaving 20 studies to be included in this review. Children and pregnant women represent the majority of target groups in studies on all types of antimalarials. Most studies (87.5%) were conducted in the provinces of Maputo and Gaza. The primary alleles re-ported were pfcrt CVMNK, and in the most recent data, its wild-type form was found in the majority of patients. Low prevalence of mutations in the pfk13 gene, were identified reflecting the effectiveness of ACTs. In pfk13 only mutation A578S was reported, in Niassa and Tete. Regarding CNVs were observed in studies carried out in the south of Mozambique, for pfmdr1 with a frequency of 1.1-5.1% and pfpm2 with a frequency of 1.1-3.4%. This review indicates that molecular markers linked to malaria resistance show considerable variation across provinces in Mozambique, with most up-to-date data accessible for Maputo and Gaza. In contrast, provinces such as Zambezia and Inhambane have limited data on several genes, while Nampula lacks data on all drug resistance markers. Our review reveals that gene mutations associated with antimalarial resistance, vary considerably by province in Mozambique, with more up-to-date data available for Maputo and Gaza. Other provinces, including Zambezia, Inhambane, and Cabo Delgado, have limited data on several genes, while Nampula entirely lacks data on all drug resistance molecular markers.