Cigarettes harbour bacterial pathogens

New research shows that cigarettes contain hundreds of different strains of bacteria, including many human pathogens that may play a role in lung diseases and respiratory infections.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0901201/abstract.pdf

Foodborne Illness

Foodborne Illness: An Acute And Long-term Health Challenge For The 21st Century The Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention (CFI) has released a report that documents what is currently known about the long-term health outcomes associated with several foodborne illnesses. The report also discusses how under-reporting, inadequate follow-up and a lack of research make it difficult to assess the impact that foodborne illness is having on Americans. CFI's report, The Long-Term Health Outcomes of Selected Foodborne Pathogens, calls for a new approach to foodborne illness research and surveillance and provides expert reviews about some of the long-term health outcomes for five foodborne pathogens. The outcomes range from hypertension and diabetes to kidney failure and mental retardation. "Foodborne illness is a serious public health issue in the 21st century," says Dr. Tanya Roberts, Chair of CFI's Board of Directors and an author of the report. "But the vast majority of these illnesses are never reported to public health agencies, leaving us with many unanswered questions about the impact that foodborne illness is having on different populations, particularly young children and the elderly." The five foodborne pathogens reviewed in this report include: Campylobacter infection afflicts millions of Americans and hospitalizes over ten thousand annually. It is associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), the most common cause of neuromuscular paralysis in the United States. GBS can result in permanent disabilities and many patients require long-term care. E. coli O157:H7 can cause serious foodborne illness, particularly in children. E. coli O157:H7 can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of acute kidney failure in children in the United States. HUS can lead to death or long-term health complications such as end-stage kidney disease, neurological complications and other disabling conditions. Listeria monocytogenes, the leading cause of foodborne illness deaths in the United States, infects thousands of Americans every year and has been associated with infections of the brain and spinal cord, resulting in serious long-term neurological dysfunctions and impaired ability to see, hear, speak or swallow. Most reported cases occur in children under the age of 4, but most of the deaths are in the elderly population. In pregnant women, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, premature birth or still birth. Salmonella, as well as other foodborne pathogens, can trigger reactive arthritis (ReA) in certain individuals, leaving them with temporary or permanent arthritis. ReA causes painful and swollen joints and can greatly affect an individual's ability to work and quality of life. Besides ReA, Salmonella is also associated with many other complications and is the second leading cause of foodborne illness deaths in the United States. Nearly half of all reported Salmonella cases occur in children. Toxoplasma gondii is the third leading cause of foodborne illness deaths in the United States. Infection can result in visual impairment or mild to severe mental retardation, with 80% of infected fetuses/infants manifesting impairment by age 17. "Clearly, the United States needs to adopt a new approach to protect its citizens from the acute and long-term effects of foodborne illness," states Barbara Kowalcyk, CFI's Director of Food Safety and an author of the report. "Improving foodborne illness surveillance, along with systematic follow-up and improved data sharing between and among local, state and federal agencies, are important first steps to increase our knowledge about the frequency and severity of the long-term health outcomes of foodborne illness, which will, in turn, help identify food safety priorities so that limited resources can be applied appropriately to ensure the greatest public health benefit." Other co-authors of the report include Patricia Buck, CFI's Executive Director; Martin J. Blaser, M.D.; J.K. Frenkel, M.D.; Bennett Lorber, M.D.; James Smith, Ph.D.; Phillip I. Tarr, M.D. Source: Patricia Buck Pew Health Group

Mycotoxins or Prokaryotoxins?

Mycotoxins are compounds of fungal origin that can adversely affect human, animal and plant health through food spoilage or infection, even to the point of epidemics such as turkey X disease and ergotism. The biosynthetic pathways of various mycotoxins (such as aflatoxin and fumonisins) are generally well understood. However, two examples have recently been described where a mycotoxin is not synthesized by the fungus itself but by bacteria residing within the fungal cytosol. These discoveries have implications in various fields, such as ecology, medicine and food processing.

Endofungal bacteria as producers of mycotoxins. Gerald Lackner, Laila P. Partida-Martinez, Christian Hertweck. Trends in Microbiology, Volume 17, Issue 12, December 2009, Pages 570-576.

Virus could cause prostate cancer

Worldwide, approximately 3% of men die from prostate cancer. The lifetime risk in developing prostate cancer is
1 in 6 (US). Xenotropic murine leukemia virus–related virus (XMRV) was discovered recently in human prostate cancers. It is the first gammaretrovirus that is known to infect humans.

XMRV is present in malignant prostatic epithelium and is associated with prostate cancer, especially high-grade tumors. PNAS USA September 8 2009 doi:10.1073/pnas.0906922106

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a versatile pathogen associated with a broad spectrum of infections in humans. In healthcare settings the bacterium is an important cause of infection in vulnerable individuals including those with burns or neutropenia or receiving intensive care. In these groups morbidity and mortality attributable to P. aeruginosa infection can be high. Management of infections is difficult as P. aeruginosa is inherently resistant to many antimicrobials. Furthermore, treatment is being rendered increasingly problematic due to the emergence and spread of resistance to the few agents that remain as therapeutic options. A notable recent development is the acquisition of carbapenemases by some strains of P. aeruginosa. Given these challenges, it would seem reasonable to identify strategies that would prevent acquisition of the bacterium by hospitalised patients. Environmental reservoirs of P. aeruginosa are readily identifiable, and there are numerous reports of outbreaks that have been attributed to an environmental source; however, the role of such sources in sporadic pseudomonal infection is less well understood. Nevertheless there is emerging evidence from prospective studies to suggest that environmental sources, especially water, may have significance in the epidemiology of sporadic P. aeruginosa infections in hospital settings, including intensive care units. A better understanding of the role of environmental reservoirs in pseudomonal infection will permit the development of new strategies and refinement of existing approaches to interrupt transmission from these sources to patients.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a formidable and ever-present adversary Journal of Hospital Infection, Volume 73, Issue 4, December 2009, Pages 338-344 K.G. Kerr, A.M. Snelling

Acinetobacter

Acinetobacter emerged as a significant nosocomial pathogen during the late 1970s, probably as a consequence, at least in part, of increasing use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in hospitals. Most clinically significant isolates belong to the species Acinetobacter baumannii or its close relatives, with many infections concentrated in intensive care, burns or high dependency units treating severely ill or debilitated patients. Large outbreaks can occur in such units, involving the infection or colonisation of numerous patients by specific epidemic strains of A. baumannii. Recently, a particular problem has concerned cross-infection of injured military patients repatriated from combat regions of the world (e.g. Iraq and Afghanistan). Carbapenems have previously been the treatment of choice for infected patients, but increasing reports worldwide now describe A. baumannii isolates resistant to all conventional antimicrobial regimens. Data to support therapeutic use of the limited number of new antimicrobial agents (e.g. tigecycline) with in-vitro activity against these pathogens are still very limited. Detailed advice concerning prevention and control of outbreaks caused by multidrug-resistant strains of acinetobacter is available from the UK Health Protection Agency. In addition to antibiotic prescribing policies and audit, these measures focus on reinforcing standard infection control procedures and precautions, with particular attention to thorough cleaning of patient areas to take account of the long-term survival of acinetobacter after drying and inadequate disinfection. Despite these measures, the problem continues to escalate, with many hospitals worldwide now reporting outbreaks caused by multidrug-resistant strains of acinetobacter.

Acinetobacter: an old friend, but a new enemy Journal of Hospital Infection, Volume 73, Issue 4, December 2009, Pages 355-363 K.J. Towner

Cronobacter: A new seperate genus

Enterobacter sakazakii is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae that has been implicated in causing necrotising enterocolitis, bacteraemia and meningitis in infants. The nomenclature of this species has been clarified recently and it has now been accepted as a separate genus, Cronobacter.

International Journal of Food Microbiology, Volume 136, Issue 2, 31 December 2009, Pages 169-178. Cronobacter Special Issue