There is a growing concern about the increase in human morbidity and mortality caused by foodborne pathogens. Antibiotics were and still are used as the first line of defense against these pathogens, but an increase in the development of bacterial antibiotic resistance has led to a need for alternative effective interventions. Probiotics are used as dietary supplements to promote gut health and...

Emerging foodborne pathogens are challenging subjects of food microbiology with their antibiotic resistance and their impact on public health. Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella spp. and Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) are significant emerging food pathogens, globally. The decrease in supply and increase in demand lead developed countries to produce animal products with a higher efficiency....

Efforts to prevent foodborne illness target bacterial pathogens, yet noroviruses (NoV) are suspected to be the most common cause of gastroenteritis. New molecular assays allow for better estimation of the role of NoV in foodborne illness. We analyzed 8,271 foodborne outbreaks reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1991 to 2000 and additional data from 6 states. The prop...

Olive leaf extract (OLE) has been used traditionally as a herbal supplement since it contains polyphenolic compounds with beneficial properties ranging from increasing energy levels, lowering blood pressure, and supporting the cardiovascular and immune systems. In addition to the beneficial effects on human health, OLE also has antimicrobial properties. The aim of this work was to investigate t...

were “unknown agents.” For the sake of objectivity, we based our assumption on the aggregate of information for known pathogens rather than on “expert opinion.” Interestingly, however, the Council of Science and Technology’s “expert opinion” of the percentage of diarrheal illness due to foodborne transmission was 35% (1), nearly identical to the figure we developed. As noted in our article, pat...

A study was done to characterize the shedding of foodborne pathogenic bacteria by Caenorhabditis elegans, evaluate the persistence of worm populations cocultured with foodborne pathogens, and determine if C. elegans disperses ingested pathogens in soil as a result of shedding. Escherichia. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica serotype Poona, and Listeria monocytogenes, as well as E. coli OP50, a n...

The global supply of food has led to an increasingly connected planet, not only in terms of food products but also in terms of risks for foodborne diseases. The fourth edition of Morris and Potter’s Foodborne Infections and Intoxications delivers an in-depth look at the global effects of foodborne illnesses, provides pathogen-specific information, and describes processes and policies intended t...

Each year in the United States, foodborne diseases affect millions of persons, who become ill after exposure to any of a growing spectrum of identified agents and toxins. Typhoid fever and other foodborne diseases common a century ago have been controlled by measures that prevent contamination of food and water with human sewage and by technologies (such as milk pasteurization) that eliminate a...

Characterizations of the risks associated with foodborne pathogens are dependent on the availability of information on the population's exposure to the biological agents. However, by itself, exposure data are insufficient to assess the public health impact of pathogenic microorganisms. This requires the availability of effective dose-response models. Successful development of models that descri...