Foodborne pathogens and disease最新文献

{"title":"Worker and Restaurant Characteristics Associated with Food Safety Culture: An Environmental Health Specialists Network Study.","authors":"Adam J Kramer, Nicole Hedeen, Brendalee Viveiros, Lauren DiPrete, Douglas J Irving, David C Nicholas, Wendy McKelvey, Jo Ann Monroy, Joyce Tuttle, Laura G Brown","doi":"10.1089/fpd.2024.0132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2024.0132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>More than 800 foodborne illness outbreaks have been reported to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) annually. Researchers have suggested that improving food safety culture in restaurants (i.e., shared values, beliefs, and norms about food safety) is an important way to reduce foodborne outbreaks. However, we know relatively little about the connections between food safety culture and food safety outcomes in restaurants. To bridge these gaps in knowledge, state and local health department staff with CDC's Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) conducted a study in which they interviewed managers and administered written surveys to food workers in 321 restaurants across eight EHS-Net jurisdictions. Data on restaurant characteristics (e.g., the existence of food safety policies) were collected through interviews with restaurant managers. Data on food worker characteristics (e.g., food safety knowledge) were collected through a worker survey. The survey also assessed worker beliefs about food safety in their restaurants (i.e., food safety culture). Analyses showed that several restaurant characteristics, including the existence of food safety policies and methods for monitoring policy implementation, were significantly and positively associated with workers' perceptions of their restaurant's food safety culture. The worker characteristics of having had food safety training and possessing food safety knowledge were also significantly and positively related to worker food safety culture beliefs. These findings suggest that management actions, such as providing food safety training, implementing food safety policies, and monitoring compliance with those policies, are associated with a strong food safety culture.</p>","PeriodicalId":12333,"journal":{"name":"Foodborne pathogens and disease","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143784423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isolation, Identification, and Characterization of <i>Bacillus cereus</i> Group Bacteria Isolated from the Dairy Farm Environment and Raw Milk in Tunisia.","authors":"Randa Ben Akacha, Maroua Gdoura-Ben Amor, Hanen Sellami, Noël Grosset, Sophie Jan, Michel Gautier, Radhouane Gdoura","doi":"10.1089/fpd.2023.0154","DOIUrl":"10.1089/fpd.2023.0154","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Members of the <i>Bacillus cereus</i> group are well-known opportunistic foodborne pathogens. In this study, the prevalence, hemolytic activity, antimicrobial resistance profile, virulence factor genes, genetic diversity by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genotyping, and adhesion potential were investigated in isolates from a Tunisian dairy farm environment and raw milk. A total of 200 samples, including bedding, feces, feed, liquid manure, and raw bovine milk, were examined. Based on PCR test targeting <i>sspE</i> gene, 59 isolates were detected. The prevalence of <i>B. cereus</i> group isolates in bedding, feces, liquid manure, feed, and raw milk was 48%, 37.8%, 20%, 17.1%, and 12.5%, respectively. Out of the tested strains, 81.4% showed β-hemolytic on blood agar plates. An antimicrobial resistance test against 11 antibiotics showed that more than 50% of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin and novobiocin, while a high sensitivity to other antibiotics tested was observed in most isolates. The distribution of enterotoxigenic genes showed that 8.5% and 67.8% of isolates carried <i>hblABCD</i> and <i>nheABC</i>, respectively. In addition, the detection rate of cytotoxin K (<i>cytk</i>), enterotoxin T (<i>bceT</i>), and <i>ces</i> genes was 72.9%, 64.4%, and 5.1%, respectively. ERIC-PCR fingerprinting genotype analysis allowed discriminating 40 different profiles. The adhesion potential of <i>B. cereus</i> group on stainless steel showed that all isolates were able to adhere at various levels, from 1.5 ± 0.3 to 5.1 ± 0.1 log colony-forming unit (CFU)/cm² for vegetative cells and from 2.6 ± 0.4 to 5.7 ± 0.3 log CFU/cm² for spores. An important finding of the study is useful for updating the knowledge of the contamination status of <i>B. cereus</i> group in Tunisia, at the dairy farm level.</p>","PeriodicalId":12333,"journal":{"name":"Foodborne pathogens and disease","volume":" ","pages":"263-272"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140174098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variations in Food Safety Concerns, Hygiene Practices, and Purchasing Behaviors During Pandemic Era: What We Learnt from Coronavirus Disease 2019.","authors":"Rabia Busra Isin, Damla Gumus, Mevlude Kizil","doi":"10.1089/fpd.2023.0143","DOIUrl":"10.1089/fpd.2023.0143","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The purpose of the study is to evaluate the food safety concerns, purchasing behaviors, and hygiene practices of individuals who contracted and did not contract the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection. A total of 2393 individuals 18-65 years years of age, 760 who contracted and 1633 who did not contract SARS-CoV-2 infection, participated in the study. Participants were administered a questionnaire to assess demographic information, food safety concerns, hygiene practices, purchasing behavior, and fear of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Results indicated that 56.3% of participants expressed concern about food safety, and 67% were concerned about infected individuals while shopping. Participants who did not contract COVID-19 had higher levels of food safety concerns and generally adhered to better hygiene practices such as handwashing, hygienic food preparation, sanitizer use, and cleaning and disinfection practices (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Overall, purchasing behaviors did not significantly differ by the infection status, except for a significant difference in reduced purchase frequency (<i>p</i> < 0.001). In addition, purchasing behavior varied in relation to fear levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05). As the pandemic appears to be increasingly controlled, the insights gained from managing outbreaks might contribute to improved understanding and preparedness for global pandemics and food safety education in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":12333,"journal":{"name":"Foodborne pathogens and disease","volume":" ","pages":"237-245"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140189627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shiga Toxin-Producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> Testing in New York 2011-2022 Reveals Increase in Non-O157 Identifications.","authors":"Ashley E Cukrovany, Danielle Wroblewski, Samantha E Wirth, Lisa M Thompson, Amy L Saylors, Julia A Connors, Deborah J Baker, Michelle C Dickinson, Charles E MacGowan, Cyndel Vollmer, Daniel T Woods, Kimberlee A Musser, Lisa A Mingle","doi":"10.1089/fpd.2023.0152","DOIUrl":"10.1089/fpd.2023.0152","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Shiga toxin-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (STEC) are an important cause of bacterial enteric infection. STEC strains cause serious human gastrointestinal disease, which may result in life-threatening complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome. They have the potential to impact public health due to diagnostic challenges of identifying non-O157 strains in the clinical laboratory. The Wadsworth Center (WC), the public health laboratory of the New York State Department of Health, has isolated and identified non-O157 STEC for decades. A shift from initially available enzyme immunoassay testing to culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) has increased the uptake of testing at clinical microbiology laboratories. This testing change has resulted in an increased number of specimen submissions to WC. During a 12-year period between 2011 and 2022, WC received 5037 broths and/or stool specimens for STEC confirmation from clinical microbiology laboratories. Of these, 3992 were positive for Shiga toxin genes (<i>stx1</i> and/or <i>stx2</i>) by real-time PCR. Furthermore, culture methods were utilized to isolate, identify, and characterize 2925 STEC from these primary specimens. Notably, WC observed a >200% increase in the number of STEC specimens received in 2021-2022 compared with 2011-2012 and an 18% increase in the number of non-O157 STEC identified using the same methodologies. During the past decade, the WC testing algorithm has been updated to manage the increase in specimens received, while also navigating the novel COVID-19 pandemic, which took priority over other testing for a period of time. This report summarizes updated methods for confirmation, surveillance, and outbreak detection of STEC and describes findings that may be related to our algorithm updates and the increased use of CIDTs, which is starting to elucidate the true incidence of non-O157 STEC.</p>","PeriodicalId":12333,"journal":{"name":"Foodborne pathogens and disease","volume":" ","pages":"273-280"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140059007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence of Flesh-Eating Bacteria (<i>Vibrio Vulnificus</i>) Type A (Environmental) and Type B (Clinical) in Tilapia Fish Samples: Phenotypic and Molecular Characterizations.","authors":"Hany M Yehia, Nourhan H Mohamed, Shereen M Korany, Abeer S Aloufi, Manal F Elkadragy, Abdulhakeem Alzahrani, Mosffer M Al-Dagal","doi":"10.1089/fpd.2024.0147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2024.0147","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Vibrio vulnificus</i>, both types A and B, in tilapia fish causes several diseases in humans-septicemia, gastroenteritis, and wound infection-that primarily occur due to the consumption of raw or undercooked fish. Using fresh tilapia fish samples collected from Riyadh market in Saudi Arabia, this study attempted to phenotypically detect <i>V. vulnificus</i> using specific media, such as thiosulphate citrate bile salt sucrose agar, CHROMagar™ <i>Vibrio</i>, and cellobiose polymyxin colistin agar, while Api 20NE was employed Molecular detection was conducted using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, to characterize the clinical (genotype B) and environmental strains (genotype A) of <i>V. vulnificus</i>. Virulence genes, such as hemolysin A (<i>Vvh</i>A) and <i>Viu</i>B which encodes vulnibactin siderophores, were employed to detect both strains, in addition to capsular polysaccharide (<i>CPS</i>) and allele 1 genes. Virulence-correlated (<i>vcg</i>) genes <i>vcg</i>C and <i>vcg</i>E were also considered. The multidrug resistance of both strains to different antibiotics was tested, while whole-cell protein profiles were used to examine their differences based on Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis. The tilapia fish contained type A and B of <i>V. vulnificus</i> at a ratio of 12% and 4%, respectively. Generation times of the clinical and environmental strains were 14.45 min and 12.04 min, respectively. Analysis of the 16S rRNA, <i>Vvh</i>A, <i>CPS</i>, <i>Viu</i>B, <i>vcg</i>C, and <i>vcg</i>E in type A and B revealed that both strains comprised all virulent genes in different ratios. Raw tilapia fish contained <i>V. vulnificus</i> type A and B, so care in handling is essential or during cooking these kinds of fish.</p>","PeriodicalId":12333,"journal":{"name":"Foodborne pathogens and disease","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143729662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Incidence and Growth Potential of <i>Salmonella</i> in Pulps from Fresh Tomatoes of Various Cultivars.","authors":"Ana Carolina Bortolossi, Thaís G Magri, Dionisio P Amorim-Neto, Anderson S Sant'Ana","doi":"10.1089/fpd.2024.0123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2024.0123","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brazil plays a significant role in the global tomato market and research into the microbiological characteristics and optimal storage conditions for this fruit is fundamental. Additionally, the recurrent outbreaks of salmonellosis linked to tomato consumption underscore the importance of understanding the prevalence and persistence of this bacterium in this product to ensure food safety. This study evaluated the incidence of <i>Salmonella</i> in commercially available tomatoes and determined the growth potential (δ) of a pool of <i>Salmonella</i> strains (<i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis [503, 504], <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium [271], <i>Salmonella</i> Infantis [2883], and <i>Salmonella</i> Senftenberg [587]) on pulp of three tomato cultivars (Sweet Grape, Salad Sensation, and Débora) under different storage scenarios. None of the 240 tomato samples collected in Campinas (São Paulo State, Brazil) showed surface contamination by <i>Salmonella</i>. Tomato pulps of the Débora and Sweet Grape varieties, with lower pH values (3.0 and 4.0, respectively), inhibited the growth of <i>Salmonella</i> at all tested temperatures (10°C, 20°C, and 30°C). However, the Salad Sensation pulp (pH 6.0) allowed for <i>Salmonella</i> multiplication, especially at 30°C with δ of 2.88 ± 0.12 log10 colony-forming unit/g. These results indicate that pH is a critical factor for <i>Salmonella</i> growth in tomato pulps of different varieties stored at various temperatures.</p>","PeriodicalId":12333,"journal":{"name":"Foodborne pathogens and disease","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143729652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> Extracellular Vesicles on Intestinal Barrier Function and Microbiota in Piglets.","authors":"Meiying Luo, Junhang Sun, Suqian Li, Xin Feng, Huihua Zhang, Qien Qi","doi":"10.1089/fpd.2024.0133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2024.0133","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Enterococcus faecium</i> (Ef) is a common microorganism in the gastrointestinal tract, recognized for its beneficial effects on human and animal health. It plays a vital role in promoting intestinal microbial balance and enhancing gut barrier function. A key feature of Ef extracellular vesicles (EfEVs) is their ability to specifically target sites within the intestine, leading us to hypothesize that EfEVs function as an important active component of Ef in intestinal microenvironment regulation. This study aimed to explore the impact of EfEV supplementation on the intestinal barrier function and microbiota composition in piglets. <i>In vitro</i> intestinal porcine epithelial cell J2 (IPEC-J2) cell culture experiments have shown that supplementation with EfEV significantly enhanced cell viability, increased the activity of the antioxidant enzyme, promoted cell proliferation, and inhibited autophagy. <i>In vitro,</i> fecal culture experiments demonstrated significant increases in OD630 and the contents of acetic aid, butyric acid, and isovaleric acid, and decreases in valeric acid following EfEV supplementation. Furthermore, EfEV supplementation altered the diversity and composition of the intestinal microbiota. It significantly reduced levels of <i>Escherichia-Shigella</i> at the family level, while increasing the abundance of beneficial microorganisms, including <i>[Eubacterium]_eligens_group</i>, <i>unidentified_Mitochondria</i>, <i>Lachnoclostridium</i>. In conclusion, EfEV plays a pivotal role in inhibiting pathogens growth, enhancing the production of metabolites such as acetic acid and butyrate acid, providing energy for microorganisms, and protecting the intestinal barrier.</p>","PeriodicalId":12333,"journal":{"name":"Foodborne pathogens and disease","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143647883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>Cronobacter</i> Surveillance in Minnesota, United States, 2002-2024.","authors":"Joshua Rounds, Jennifer L Dale, Annastasia Gross, Laura E Tourdot, Paula Snippes Vagnone, Kirk Smith, Carlota Medus, Ruth Lynfield","doi":"10.1089/fpd.2024.0177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2024.0177","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Cronobacter sakazakii</i> is an opportunistic pathogen associated with bloodstream infections and meningitis in neonates and infants. <i>C. sakazakii</i> isolated from infants under 1 year of age has been reportable in Minnesota since 2003. Invasive <i>Cronobacter</i> infections in infants was recently made notifiable nationally in 2024. Therefore, this summary of over 20 years of reportable surveillance for <i>C. sakazakii</i> from Minnesota infants will inform other jurisdictions. During 2002-2024, 23 <i>C. sakazakii</i> cases in infants, including 8 invasive and 15 non-invasive cases, were identified and confirmed using MALDI-TOF or conventional biochemical methods. Invasive cases were younger (median, 18 days; range, 8 days to 10 months) than non-invasive cases (median, 98 days; range, 7 days to 8 months). <i>Cronobacter</i> isolates from infant (21), child (4), and adult (15) cases were submitted for whole genome sequencing (WGS) to obtain a contextual understanding of potential relatedness. In addition, <i>C. sakazakii</i> isolated from powdered infant formula (PIF) in 2003 was sequenced for comparison. Sequence type (ST) 4 was responsible for the majority of <i>C. sakazakii</i> cases overall (65%) and invasive infant cases (88%). Opened and unopened PIF was cultured from 10 investigations representing both invasive and non-invasive cases. Two (25%) opened PIF samples tested positive for <i>C. sakazakii</i> ST 4 while one (11%) unopened PIF sample tested positive for <i>C. sakazakii</i> ST 4. WGS demonstrated that no clinical cases were associated with a recognized outbreak. Several cases were likely due to contamination of PIF in the home during preparation, highlighting the importance of infant caregiver education to prevent infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":12333,"journal":{"name":"Foodborne pathogens and disease","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143647882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular Tracing and Molecular Characteristics of Strains from <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> Bacteremia in a 23-Day-Old Infant in China.","authors":"Silu Peng, Wei Tong, Chengwei Liu, Houde Zhou, Jian Xiao, Daofeng Liu, Jun Lu","doi":"10.1089/fpd.2024.0161","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2024.0161","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> (<i>C. jejuni</i>), a common foodborne zoonotic pathogen, usually causes gastroenteritis and rarely causes extraintestinal infections such as bacteremia. This study investigates a rare case of invasive <i>C. jejuni</i> bacteremia in a 23-day-old infant in Nanchang, China. Epidemiological data were collected from the infant's cohabitants (3). The cohabitants' anal swabs (3), milk powder (1), a feeding bottle (1), and kitchen items (3) were collected and screened for <i>C. jejuni</i>. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted, and whole genome sequencing was performed for genetic analysis, including whole genome multilocus sequence typing (wgMLST), single-nucleotide polymorphism, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence gene profiling. As a result, three <i>C. jejuni</i> strains were isolated from the infant, the infant's grandmother, and the feeding bottle. The results revealed that the three <i>C. jejuni</i> isolates were clonally related, sharing minimal genetic differences. The infant's grandmother, who had slaughtered a live chicken 4 days before the infant's illness, was identified as the likely source of transmission. AMR profiles showed resistance to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins. The three isolates were found to carry the <i>blaOXA-184</i> gene and a chromosomal mutation in <i>gyrA</i> (T86I). Additionally, 69 virulence genes were identified in all isolates, including those associated with adherence (4), glycosylation system (23), motility and export apparatus (38), cytolethal toxin (3), and invasion (1). This case represents the third reported instance of <i>C. jejuni</i> bacteremia in an infant in China. The analysis confirmed a transmission pathway from the grandmother.</p>","PeriodicalId":12333,"journal":{"name":"Foodborne pathogens and disease","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143624034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global Epidemiology and Subtype Distribution of <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in Birds: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Mohammad Reza Mohammadi, Ali Asghari, Milad Badri, Farajolah Maleki, Behzad Bijani, Amin Karampour","doi":"10.1089/fpd.2025.0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2025.0007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the global epidemiology, subtype (ST) distribution, and zoonotic potential of <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in birds. A systematic review of the literature up to July 26, 2024, identified 47 articles/98 datasets meeting the inclusion criteria, covering data from 19 countries and over 41 bird species. Total estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. The weighted prevalence of <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in birds was 26.4% (95% CI: 22.5-30.6%), varying by location and species. The highest pooled prevalence was in guinea fowls at 83.3% (95% CI: 36.9-97.7%), followed by pheasants at 50.4%, flightless birds at 47.8%, peafowls at 41%, exotic birds at 34.4%, chickens at 24.9%, uncategorized birds at 24.4%, Anatidae birds at 24.3%, red-crowned cranes at 19.7%, quails at 15.8%, and pigeons at 12.8%. Subgroup analysis of <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. prevalence was performed based on publication years, countries, continents, WHO regions, and sample sizes. Birds can be the proper source of infection for 20 <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. STs (ST1-ST10, ST13, ST14, ST20, ST21, ST23-ST25, and ST27-ST29), with 12 STs (ST1-ST10, ST14, and ST23) capable of infecting humans. The findings revealed that birds should not be ignored in terms of the possible transmission of <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. zoonotic infections to humans. Moreover, parasitic infections, such as <i>Blastocystis</i> sp., can affect the health of poultry, causing gastrointestinal issues that impact growth and productivity, which requires special attention in this field.</p>","PeriodicalId":12333,"journal":{"name":"Foodborne pathogens and disease","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143585460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}