With evolving lifestyles, consumer demand for fresh fruits and vegetables has increased. However, these products are susceptible to contamination by foodborne bacteria from farm to table. To investigate the contamination status of foodborne bacteria in commercially available fresh fruits, vegetables, and their ready-to-eat (RTE) products in Shijiazhuang City, a total of 406 samples were collected from 2024 to 2025. Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ), Clostridium perfringens ( C. perfringens ), diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (diarrheagenic E. coli ), and Salmonella were identified and analyzed for genomic characteristics using traditional biochemical tests and whole genome sequencing (WGS). The results showed that the detection rate of S. aureus was 4.68% (19/406), of which 5 isolates were identified as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), accounting for 1.23% (5/406). The detection rate of C. perfringens was 8.37% (34/406), and the detection rate of diarrheagenic E. coli was 0.25% (1/406). No Salmonella was detected. Genomic characterization revealed that S. aureus strains were predominantly ST59 and ST22, with the MRSA strains primarily identified as ST59-SCCmec-IVa (2B)-t437. A total of 20 enterotoxin genes were detected, with 94.74% (18/19) of the strains carrying at least one enterotoxin gene. The sea gene was the most prevalent (52.63%, 10/19), and the tsst-1 gene, which can cause toxic shock syndrome, was detected in 2 strains. C. perfringens isolates were divided into 30 STs, exhibiting high genetic diversity. All toxin types were classified as type A. The mprF gene showed the highest carriage rate of resistance genes (94.12%, 32/34), and the main resistance profile was mprF + cplR (55.88%, 19/34). The diarrheagenic E. coli isolate was identified as enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and carried multiple antimicrobial resistance genes. This study systematically reveals the contamination levels and molecular characteristics of common foodborne bacteria in fresh fruits, vegetables, and their RTE products sold in Shijiazhuang for the first time.
Thermal processing inactivates foodborne bacteria but does not necessarily destroy their DNA, membrane vesicles, or bacteriophage particles. Such residues persist in pasteurized milk and heat-treated meat and are ingested by consumers. Whether this material can transfer antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) to gut bacteria remains untested: the only direct human evidence of foodborne resistance-gene transfer involved live bacteria, not material released from heat-killed cells. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on the post-thermal fate of extracellular DNA, membrane vesicles, and bacteriophages, grading that evidence explicitly from detection of a target sequence, through structural integrity, to demonstrated transfer under realistic conditions. Persistence of ARG sequences after pasteurization is well documented, whereas functional transfer from foodborne dead-cell material has not been demonstrated in vivo . A Genetic Legacy Index (GLI) is proposed as a conceptual measurement framework—not a validated index—combining extracellular DNA abundance, ARG load, and ARG–mobile genetic element linkage, with an illustrative formula, normalization strategy, and validation agenda. Current finished-product microbiological criteria are predominantly culture-based and do not establish limits for extracellular or dead-cell genetic material, although integrated antimicrobial resistance surveillance increasingly includes molecular detection and whole-genome sequencing. The GLI is therefore proposed as a research and surveillance tool rather than a product-release criterion: a first step toward evaluating an unquantified exposure pathway within One Health surveillance of the food chain.
This study investigated the intestinal carriage of extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant (ESC-R) Enterobacterales in farmed sea bream ( Sparus aurata ) marketed in Algiers. A total of 108 intestinal samples were collected from seven fishmongers between 2023 and 2024. ESC-R Enterobacterales were detected in 16.7% of the samples (18/108), including Klebsiella pneumoniae ( n = 9), Escherichia coli ( n = 8), and Klebsiella michiganensis ( n = 1). Whole-genome sequencing confirmed the presence of genes conferring an extended-spectrum β-lactamase phenotype in 17 isolates (mostly bla CTX-M-15 ) and an AmpC cephalosporinase phenotype in one isolate. Moreover, the mcr-1.1 and fosA3 genes, which respectively confer resistance to colistin and fosfomycin, were detected in a single E. coli isolate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance in Algerian aquaculture. Most isolates (72.2%) exhibited a multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype, mainly involving resistance to tetracyclines, sulfonamide-trimethoprim, and streptomycin. Several sequence types (STs) identified in this study, including the high-risk clones E. coli ST131 and K. pneumoniae ST37, have previously been reported in humans and animals. In addition, two ESC-R Aeromonas caviae isolates were recovered. These findings demonstrate the occurrence of ESC-resistant bacteria in the intestinal microbiota of farmed sea bream marketed in Algiers and underscore the need for integrated One Health surveillance to better understand the role of aquaculture in the emergence, maintenance, and dissemination of MDR bacteria and antimicrobial resistance determinants.
The aim of this study was to characterize invasive listeriosis in Türkiye and identify predictors of in-hospital mortality. This multicenter retrospective observational study included adult patients with laboratory-confirmed Listeria monocytogenes infection from 26 centers between 2015 and 2024. Clinical, demographic, laboratory, and treatment data were collected. Patients were classified based on infection type. Univariate analyses were followed by multivariable logistic regression to determine independent predictors of mortality. A total of 129 patients were included (mean age 62.1 ± 16.9 years; 65.9% male). The in-hospital mortality rate was 54.8%. Deceased patients were older and had more frequent comorbidities. Bacteremia without central nervous system involvement was more common among nonsurvivors. Lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, lower platelet counts, higher CRP levels, and more frequent blood culture positivity were observed in patients who died. In multivariable analyses, higher GCS scores were associated with lower odds of mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.71 per 1-point increase, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59–0.86), as were higher platelet counts (adjusted OR: 0.94 per 10,000/µL increase, 95% CI: 0.89–0.99), whereas blood culture positivity was associated with higher odds of mortality (adjusted OR: 3.19, 95% CI: 1.04–9.82). Invasive listeriosis is associated with high mortality in Türkiye. Admission GCS score, platelet count, and blood culture positivity were independently associated with mortality and may help identify patients at increased risk of death.
Abstract Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus ) is a leading causative agent of sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis in neonates and is also a major pathogen responsible for bovine mastitis, posing a substantial threat to food safety and public health via the dairy production chain. The ability of S. agalactiae to form biofilms in the host enhances its resistance to conventional antibiotics and host immune defenses, thereby contributing to persistent and chronic infections. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and combined antibacterial effects of dihydromyricetin (DMY) against the S. agalactiae strain GBS2 isolated from bovine mastitis. DMY exhibited significant antibacterial activity against GBS2, with a minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. Crystal violet staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy analyses demonstrated that DMY effectively inhibited and disrupted biofilm formation, resulting in looser and less dense biofilm structures compared to untreated controls. Furthermore, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) results revealed that DMY modulated the transcript levels of biofilm-associated genes ( csrR , srtA , fbsC , cpsE , and luxS ). Additionally, DMY markedly potentiated the antibacterial effect of penicillin G, ciprofloxacin, oxacillin, and vancomycin. These findings suggest that DMY could serve as a natural antibiofilm agent for controlling S. agalactiae contamination in the dairy industry, thereby contributing to the prevention of foodborne infections and reducing reliance on conventional antibiotics.
