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At least 973 records · Page 54Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Clinical pharmacology of antimicrobial use in humans and animals.

Veterinary public health is a frontier in the fight against human disease, charged to control and eradicate zoonotic diseases that are naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and man. Currently there is a need for clinical pharmacologists and all health care givers to limit the development of bacterial resistance in humans to contain the increased health care expenditures related to morbidity and mortality associated with the use of antimicrobials. The development of resistance predates the use of antibiotics and will always be a problem to the successful treatment of patients. Ongoing discussion debates the extent to which antibiotic use in animals contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance in humans. The veterinary use ofantibiotics as antimicrobial growth promoters is thought to influence the prevalence of resistance in animal bacteria and to be a risk factor for the emergence of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. Transfer of antibiotic resistant bacteria from animals to humans may occur via contact, including occupational exposure and via the food chain. Resistance genes may transferfrom bacteria of animals to human pathogens in the intestinal flora of humans. Prevention of the development of resistance in humans necessitates good animal husbandry and hygienic measures to prevent cross contamination and a decrease in the use of antibiotics. Appropriate use of antibiotics for food animals will preserve the long-term efficacy of existing antibiotics, support animal health and welfare, and limit the risk of transfer of antibiotic resistance to humans. Investigators must also develop new antimicrobial agents. Poole (J Pharmacy Pharmacol 2001;53:283) recommends targeting the three predominate mechanisms of development of resistance by antimicrobials (i.e., antibiotic inactivation, target site modification, and altered uptake via restricted entry and/or enhanced efflux) to specifically complement the development of novel agents with novel bacterial targets. Bacterial resistance and its selection may be evaluated by comparing the relationship to antibiotic pharmacokinetic (PK) values obtained from serum concentrations and organism MICs (minimum inhibitory concentrations; concentration-dependent killing) to reveal culture and sensitivity tests in patients. Pharmacodynamic (PD) models may be developed to identify factors associated with the probability that bacterial resistance will develop. Thomas et al (Antimicrobial Agents Chemotherapy 1998;42:521) used this combined approach of PK/PD and MICs to examine data retrospectively. The role of clinical pharmacology is to work with PK/PD models such as these to determine the best use of antibiotics in humans to minimize the development of resistance. The role of any regulatory body responsible for the protection of the public health and food safety for consumers is to assess risk and to then communicate and manage the risk. Scientific uncertainty must be interpreted to propose sound policy options. The conversion of sound science into an appropriate regulatory policy to protect the public health is most important.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Standards of the in vitro mutation frequency study and the antimicrobial activity study in gut.

In view of the recent rapid increase in incidence of infection with antimicrobial resistant bacteria in human medicine, there is international controversy as to the medical risk that is created by transfer of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistant genes, which may be produced through the processes of administration of antimicrobials to food-producing animals, via the food chain. Accordingly, International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH) provides the comprehensive guidelines for characterizing selection of antimicrobial resistance by bacteria which may adversely affect human health in order to establish the system of registry of antimicrobial drugs to be administered to food- producing animals. Currently, Japanese Society of Antimicrobials for Animals recognizes the lack of technical test standards in compliance with VICH guidelines in the world and has established the test standards for "in vitro mutation frequency studies" to evaluate the appearance frequency and resistant level of resistant bacteria and those for studies on the "antimicrobial activity in gut" to estimate the effects on intestinal flora from professional aspects.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1979

Antibiotic resistance of salmonellae in Czechoslovakia -- situation and prospects.

Antibiotic resistance of non-typhoid Salmonellae is in Czechoslovakia continuously monitored by a computer and its transferability is studied, on an all-nation level, within the Federal Plan of Scientific Investigation and Development. Restance and its transferability was surveyed in strains of Salmonella from humans, from farm animals, from the food chain as well as from surface and waste waters. Proportion of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strains did not, in general, increase during the four-year period of 1973 to 1977. While resistant strains from humans as well as farm animals show a high degree of transferability, strains from food samples lack, in general, the transfer ability. This might be inferred that strains causing human salmonellosis which are carried to man trough foodchain, gain their character of transferability directly in the gut, i.e. from E. coli strains, and mainly due to presence of therapeutically given antibiotics.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Polychlorinated biphenyl residues in food and human milk: determination of co-planar and mono-ortho substituted congeners.

An analytical method is described for determining the residues of coplanar as well as mono-ortho substituted PCB congeners both exhibiting toxicological relevance, in foods of animal origin and in human milk. The unsophisticated procedure, convenient for routine analyses, includes the extraction of lipids, clean-up steps using liquid/liquid partition and column chromatography, fractionation of the congeners using HPLC on a special carbon column with an optimal gradient elution, and capillary column gas chromatography with electron capture or mass spectrometric detection. As preliminary results indicate, the low-chlorinated PCB technical products contribute more to the actual contamination of environment and foods than has been estimated so far. Obviously the co-planar congeners are accumulated during the food chain in a portion different from that found for the other congeners.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Effects of mercury contaminated rice from typical chemical plant area in China on nitric oxide changes and c-fos expression of rats brain.

China is one of countries with the highest mercury production in the world. The Guizhou Province in Southwestern China is currently one of the world's most important mercury production areas. In order to study the neurotoxicity of rice from Qingzhen Chemical Plant area and probe into the signal transduction molecular mechanism of injury in rat brain stimulation by mercury contaminated rice. The rats were exposed to mercury contaminated rice for 20 d. Both of the measurements of NO and NOS were processed according to the protocol of the kit. The effect of Hg contaminated rice on the expression of c-fos mRNA in rat brain and the expression of c-FOS protein in cortex, hippocampus were observed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemical methods. The results showed the neural transmitter NO and NOS in brain were significantly change between exposure groups and control group; the mercury polluted rice induced significantly the expression of c-fos mRNA; the c-FOS positive cells in hippocampus and cortex of exposure groups were significant different from control group (p < 0.01). It could be concluded that nitric oxide was involved in mercury contaminated rice induced immediate early gene c-fos expressions in the rat brain. Through food chain, local ecosystem and health of local people iave been deteriorated seriously by mercury. This serious situation will last a long period. In order to alleviate mercury pollution, more work needs to do.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Monitoring and identifying antibiotic resistance mechanisms in bacteria.

Sub-therapeutic administration of antibiotics to animals is under intense scrutiny because they contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria into the food chain. Studies suggest that there is a link between the agricultural use of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant human infections. Antibiotic-resistant organisms from animal and human wastes reenter the human and animal populations through a number of pathways including natural waters, irrigation water, drinking water, and vegetables and foods. Antibiotic usage in the United States for animal production (disease prevention and growth promotion) is estimated to be 18 million pounds annually. As much as 25 to 75% of the antibiotics administered to feedlot animals are excreted unaltered in feces. Because about 180 million dry tons of livestock and poultry waste is generated annually in the United States, it is not surprising that animal-derived antibiotic-resistant organisms are found contaminating groundwater, surface water, and food crops. It is extremely important to clearly understand the molecular mechanisms that could potentially cause lateral or horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria. Once the mechanisms and magnitude of resistance gene transfer are clearly understood and quantified, strategies can be instituted to reduce the potential for dissemination of these genes.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed2003

Regional food diversity and human health.

Regions are significant for the way we understand and strategize food for health and economic development. They generally represent various food cultures and opportunities for food exchange based on proximity, historical linkages and complementarities. The example of North and West Africa represents an intersection of some of the most original of human eating experiences out of Africa and the enrichment of these by Arab traders, through the exchange of products, ideas, observations, beliefs and technologies. All of these will have encouraged diversity in food intake. However food diversity and, with it, biodiversity may not always have been recognized as important, and, therefore, secured and protected. Ultimately, food diversity cannot be sustained unless the food chain and the technologies to support it are environmentally appropriate. Cooking, without renewable energy sources, is a critical example. Additionally, human settlement has always required an adequate, a dependable and a safe water supply, although this same settlement tends to compromise these water characteristics. Water is a major factor in food diversity, whether as a source of aquatic food, or the basis of food production and preparation. The extent to which food diversity for human health is required will depend on the food component (essential nutrient and phytochemical) density of the foods represented. For example, fish, fresh lean meat, eggs and seed foods (grains, pulses, nuts) will reduce the requirement. Regional food diversity can support food diversity at the community level--where otherwise it might be fragile--by shared learning experiences, and by trade. Diversity can also be captured and enshrined in recipes with composite ingredients and by traditional emblematic foods--like soups and pies; and it provides the basis for food culture and cuisine. The evidence for food diversity (or variety) as a major factor in health has grown substantially over the last few years--as integrative indices of health like "maternal nutrition" and "successful pregnancy" (for example, through the inclusion of a variety of food sources of folate, increasing the bioavailability of iron, and the sustainable intakes of quality food protein and essential fatty acids); "adult mortality rates"; other "specific disease incidences" (like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and bone health) for "risk factors for disease" (like hypertension and abdominal fatness); and for "wellbeing" (palatable, enjoying and neurologically relevant food stuffs). Thus, there is an ongoing need to promote and maintain food diversity at the regional level and between communities.

Feeding Behavior↗
PubMed1999

Chemistry, nutrition, and microbiology of D-amino acids.

Exposure of food proteins to certain processing conditions induces two major chemical changes: racemization of all L-amino acids to D-isomers and concurrent formation of cross-linked amino acids such as lysinoalanine. Racemization of L-amino acids residues to their D-isomers in food and other proteins is pH-, time-, and temperature-dependent. Although racemization rates of the 18 different L-amino acid residues in a protein vary, the relative rates in different proteins are similar. The diet contains both processing-induced and naturally formed D-amino acids. The latter include those found in microorganisms, plants, and marine invertebrates. Racemization impairs digestibility and nutritional quality. The nutritional utilization of different D-amino acids varies widely in animals and humans. In addition, some D-amino acids may be both beneficial and deleterious. Thus, although D-phenylalanine in an all-amino-acid diet is utilized as a nutritional source of L-phenylalanine, high concentrations of D-tyrosine in such diets inhibit the growth of mice. Both D-serine and lysinoalanine induce histological changes in the rat kidney. The wide variation in the utilization of D-amino acids is illustrated by the fact that whereas D-methionine is largely utilized as a nutritional source of the L-isomer, D-lysine is totally devoid of any nutritional value. Similarly, although L-cysteine has a sparing effect on L-methionine when fed to mice, D-cysteine does not. Because D-amino acids are consumed by animals and humans as part of their normal diets, a need exists to develop a better understanding of their roles in nutrition, food safety, microbiology, physiology, and medicine. To contribute to this effort, this multidiscipline-oriented overview surveys our present knowledge of the chemistry, nutrition, safety, microbiology, and pharmacology of D-amino acids. Also covered are the origin and distribution of D-amino acids in the food chain and in body fluids and tissues and recommendations for future research in each of these areas. Understanding of the integrated, beneficial effects of D-amino acids against cancer, schizophrenia, and infection, and overlapping aspects of the formation, occurrence, and biological functions of D-amino should lead to better foods and improved human health.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2006

How do environmental estrogen disruptors induce precocious puberty?

Puberty is regulated by the endocrine system. Disruption of that system by exposure to environmental hormone-mimicking substances (i.e. endocrine disruptors) may, therefore, affect this development profoundly. There has been a great secular trend in the earlier timing of puberty such as both puberty onset and menarche age. This is apparently caused by environmental factors such as improved socioeconomic status, better healthcare and improved nutrition. However, part of the phenomenon could be associated with exposure to endocrine disruptors that have intrinsic estrogen activity or increase endogenous sex hormone levels. These estrogen pollutants tend to degrade slowly in the environment, to bioaccumulate in the food chain and to have long half-lives in humans. Because most of environmental chemicals, called estrogen disruptors or xenoestrogens, are toxic and estrogen/antiandrogen active, they can disregulate hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis potentially inducing reproductive disorders. There are several case reports of accidental exposure to estrogenic compounds in cosmetic products, food and pharmaceuticals. The outbreak of epidemics of premature thelarche in some geographical areas has also been suggested to be linked to exposure to estrogen disrupters such as dioxins, furans and organohalogens. We review data on adverse health and reproductive outcomes have been attributed to estrogen disruptors in laboratory animals and in wildlife as well as in humans, specially focusing on the puberty timing.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Antimicrobial resistance at farm level.

Bacteria that are resistant to antimicrobials are widespread. This article reviews the distribution of resistant bacteria in farm environments. Humans, animals, and environmental sites are all reservoirs of bacterial communities that contain some bacteria that are susceptible to antimicrobials and others that are resistant. Farm ecosystems provide an environment in which resistant bacteria and genes can emerge, amplify and spread. Dissemination occurs via the food chain and via several other pathways. Ecological, epidemiological, molecular and mathematical approaches are being used to study the origin and expansion of the resistance problem and its relationship to antibiotic usage. The prudent and responsible use of antibiotics is an essential part of an ethical approach to improving animal health and food safety. The responsible use of antibiotics during research is vital, but to fully contribute to the containment of antimicrobial resistance 'prudent use' must also be part of good management practices at all levels of farm life.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed2006

Development of a competitive exclusion product for poultry meeting the regulatory requirements for registration in the European Union.

Competitive exclusion treatment is able to increase the pathogen colonization resistance of day-old chicks by applying probiotic bacteria stabilizing the indigenous microflora. In order to develop a safe microbial feed additive, various bacterial strains were isolated out of the gastrointestinal tract of healthy chickens. One hundred twenty-one representatives were selected based on differences in whole-cell protein patterns and screened for antagonistic properties. Five effective strains (Pediococcus acidilactici, Enterococcus faecium, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. animalis, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus salivarius ssp. salivarius) exhibited in vitro the ability to inhibit a range of common pathogens and were evaluated with regard to the risks associated with genetic transfer of antibiotic resistances from animals to humans via the food chain. The probiotic strains were sensitive to several clinically effective antibiotics, though some of them showed single resistances. None of the vancomycin-resistant (R) strains carried the enterococcal vanA gene. Two tetracycline R strains were shown to harbor a tet(M)-associated resistance. The strains contained no extrachromosomal DNA and were not able to transfer the resistance by means of conjugation. On basis of the collected data the presence of easy transferable resistances was excluded and the chicken strains were considered to be suitable for the use as feed additive.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2005

Nontyphoidal Salmonella from human clinical cases, asymptomatic children, and raw retail meats in Yucatan, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: We report the results of a 3-year Salmonella surveillance study of persons with diarrhea; asymptomatic children; and retail pork, poultry, and beef in Yucatan, Mexico. METHODS: Isolates were characterized according to serotype, antimicrobial susceptibility, and genetic relatedness with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: Salmonella Typhimurium was the most common serotype found in ill humans (21.8% of isolates), followed by Salmonella Agona (21% of isolates). Salmonella Enteritidis was a minor serotype (4.2% of isolates). Asymptomatic children carried S. Agona (12.1% of isolates), Salmonella Meleagridis (11.6% of isolates), Salmonella Anatum (8% of isolates) and S. Enteritidis (5.8% of isolates). A high percentage of retail meat samples contained Salmonella; it was most commonly found in pork (58.1% of samples), followed by beef (54% of samples) and poultry (39.7% of samples). Resistance to oral drugs used for the treatment of salmonellosis was observed for ampicillin (14.6% of isolates were resistant), chloramphenicol (14.0% of isolates), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (19.7% of isolates). Resistance to ceftriaxone emerged in 2002 and was limited to the serotype S. Typhimurium. Twenty-seven percent of the isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid, and none were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Multidrug resistance was most common among isolates of serotypes S. Typhimurium and S. Anatum. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that strains found in retail meats were genetically identical to strains found in both asymptomatic children and ill patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found a high prevalence of Salmonella in retail meats and persons with enteric infection; many of these isolates were resistant to clinically important antimicrobials. A random selection of isolates from people and retail meat showed genetic relatedness, which suggests that, in Yucatan, considerable transfer of Salmonella occurs through the food chain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Enterotoxigenicity and cytotoxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis strains and development of a process for Cry1Ac production.

Bacillus thuringiensis is indistinguishable from Bacillus cereus except for the production of insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs). B. thuringiensis strains may show enterotoxin profiles and toxin levels similar to those of B. cereus strains isolated from food-poisoning cases. It is important for the food industry and farmers to consider that with the application of B. thuringiensis strains to crops, their spores may be introduced into the human food chain. In this study, 59 B. thuringiensis strains were assayed for their hemolysin BL (HBL) using a BCET-RPLA kit and their cytotoxicity to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The enterotoxin titer was as high as that of B. cereus diarrheal-type strain ATCC 49064. In an attempt to obtain a food safety strain for bioinsecticide use, in this study, a 3.5-kb cry1Ac DNA fragment was amplified with PCR from the total DNA of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki CCRC 11502 and cloned into the Bacillus expression vector pHY300PLK. The alpha-amylase promoter, amyE, was then introduced into the promoter region and, afterward, the recombinant plasmid pHYe1Ac35 was introduced into a non-enterotoxigenic and non-cytotoxic B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Tt14 strain. The transformant, without any detectable enterotoxigenicity or cytotoxicity, produced Cry1Ac toxin properly, and its insecticidal activity against Trichoplusia ni larvae was found to be satisfactory.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Community structure and dynamics in desert ecosystems: potential implications for insecticide risk assessment.

Insecticides are increasingly being used in hot arid ecosystems. The evaluation of the ecological risk these insecticides may pose, however, is based largely on data derived from temperate organisms and ecosystems. The major differences in the composition, structure, and functioning of desert animal communities when compared to temperate terrestrial ecosystems are discussed. Desert communities are characterized by a high fraction of ectotherms (both vertebrates and invertebrates);rodents and insectivores appear to dominate the mammalian fauna; and detritivores make up a very large part of the arthropod fauna. Presently available toxicity data cover these groups only to a very limited extent. It is not known if the ranges of insecticide susceptibility observed in temperate species are representative of those in arid organisms. Thus, it is not certain that ecotoxicological assessments based on such data sets adequately protect desert animal communities. It is shown that food web connectance is higher in desert ecosystems than in temperate grasslands or forests. This may to a large extent be due to the high degree of omnivory among desert organisms. Population regulation between predators and prey appears to be weaker in deserts. The same is often, though not always, the case for competition among desert organisms. It is argued that such characteristics will reduce the chance that strong indirect effects of insecticide perturbations will occur. In spite of the fact that many desert organisms are well adapted to cope with high temporal and spatial environmental variability, there is no reason to believe that they will always recover more rapidly from population perturbations caused by insecticides. The relatively large physiological and life-history plasticity encountered in many desert animals may increase tolerance to insecticide stress. Food chains are longer in deserts than in temperate grasslands and forests. The implications of this observation for the risk of biomagnification of contaminants are discussed.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2001

Analysis of 200 food items for benzo[a]pyrene and estimation of its intake in an epidemiologic study.

Animal studies have shown that dietary intake of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), causes increased levels of tumors at several sites, particularly in the upper gastrointestinal tract. However, the role of dietary intake of BaP and cancer in humans is not clear. We created a BaP database of selected food products that could be linked to Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) to estimate BaP intake. BaP levels were measured for each food line-item (composite samples) which consisted of a variety of foods in a FFQ. Composite sample parts were derived from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) which represents the most common food items consumed by the general population. Meat samples were cooked by different techniques in controlled conditions, and by various restaurants and fast-food chains. Non-meat products were purchased from the major national supermarket chains. The quantities of BaP were measured using a thin-layer chromatography (TLC)/spectrofluorometer technique and were highly correlated with both BaP (r=0.99) [corrected] and sum of carcinogenic PAH (r=0.98) measured by HPLC technique. We linked our database to the results from a FFQ and estimated the daily BaP intake of various food items in 228 subjects in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The highest levels of BaP (up to about 4 ng BaP/g of cooked meat) were found in grilled/barbecued very well done steaks and hamburgers and in grilled/barbecued well done chicken with skin. BaP concentrations were lower in meats that were grilled/barbecued to medium done and in all broiled or pan-fried meat samples regardless of doneness level. The BaP levels in non-meat items were generally low. However, certain cereals and greens (e.g. kale, collard greens) had levels up to 0.5 ng/g. In our population, the bread/cereal/grain, and grilled/barbecued meat, respectively, contributed 29 and 21 percent to the mean daily intake of BaP. This database may be helpful in initial attempts to assess dietary BaP exposures in studies of cancer etiology.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Behavior of 60Co and 134Cs in a Canadian Shield lake over 5 years.

Radionuclides were added to the anoxic hypolimnion of a Canadian Shield lake to simulate the nuclear fuel waste disposal scenario where radionuclides might enter the bottom waters of a lake. The radionuclides remained in the hypolimnion until lake mixing at autumn turnover after which 60Co was rapidly lost and 134Cs was slowly lost from the water. Only 0.4% of the 60Co and 0.6% of the 134Cs remained in the water at year 5. Highest concentrations occurred in periphyton and filter feeders, Holopedium gibberum and clams (Anodonata grandis grandis). From maximum annual concentrations in clam tissues, it was estimated that the availability of 60Co for uptake had a half-time (t1/2) of 835 days in the lake, whereas that for 134Cs was 780 days. Loss rate coefficients, k, for the radionuclides from taxa ranged from 0.0008 to 0.0043 day-1 (t1/2 = 161-866 days) for 60Co and from 0.0009 to 0.005 day-1 (t1/2 = 139-770 days) for 134Cs. Cobalt-60 concentrations in forage fish were low, whereas 134Cs concentrations increased over the first year or two, then slowly declined. On the basis of k values measured for forage fish, the biological half-time of 134Cs in forage fish ranged from 428 to 630 days. Maximum 134Cs concentrations in forage fish were higher following hypolimnetic addition than epilimnetic addition. Relatively high 134Cs concentrations in periphyton at year 5 point to the importance of benthic pathways in the recycling of contaminants to higher trophic levels. The presence of 134Cs in biota 5 years after the addition, long after concentrations were no longer detectable in surface waters, is evidence of the persistence of Cs in aquatic systems. The k values (or t1/2 values) for the loss of 60Co and 134Cs from water and their uptake and loss from biota can be used to establish parameter values for assessment models. The results demonstrate that assessment models should account for the release of radionuclides from sediment and their subsequent recycling in the food chain when modeling over the long term after the end of a radionuclide release to the environment.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in fish from hatcheries and clarifying ponds].

The concentrations of six selected single polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, for which legal tolerance levels became valid in 1988, and the congener no. 49 (2,2',4,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl) were determined in the muscle tissue of 58 fishes from fish hatcheries and in 17 fishes from settle ponds. The fish were taken from flowing waters in the years 1986 and 1987. High and low chlorinated biphenyls were present in each sample, but the concentration of the low chlorinated biphenyls was distinctly lower than that of the higher chlorinated ones. Nevertheless these results demonstrate the intake of components of low chlorinated technical PCB mixtures in the environment and food chains. Compared with the investigations carried out in 1980/81 in fishes from fish hatcheries, a decrease of PCB contamination in the muscle tissues with regard to the technical mixture Clophen A 60 was observed. This is in accordance with the results our team obtained a short time previously in muscle tissue from foxes and in food-stuffs. The concentration of all PCB congeners determined in the muscle tissue from fish of settle ponds was significantly higher than in the tissue from fish taken from hatcheries. Thus, the PCB content depends on the PCB load in different environments. Therefore, fishes can be useful as bioindicators for the intake of low and high chlorinated PCB congeners in aquatic ecosystems.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

A new variant of food poisoning: enteroinvasive Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli sepsis from a contaminated hamburger.

For the first time, we report Klebsiella pneumoniae as an enteroinvasive food-borne pathogen transmitted from a hamburger. A 28-year-old previously healthy African-American male ingested a portion of a hamburger from a fast food chain. Symptoms of gastroenteritis rapidly deteriorated to multiorgan failure. Blood and hamburger cultures grew Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Since Klebsiella had not previously been reported as enteroinvasive, the isolates were compared. Full biochemical profiles, antimicrobial sensitivity, plasmid profile, and toxin assay by DNA hybridization probe were completely concordant. The patient survived the episode of food-borne sepsis. Deliberate or inadvertent employee contamination of food products with feces may be a potential source of life-threatening food-borne illness.

Adult↗