Foodborne pathogens are one of the major factors leading to food safety issues, causing harm to the national economy and people's livelihood. Achieving rapid detection of foodborne pathogens is currently a key strategy for preventing and controlling foodborne diseases. Antibodies naturally possess high specificity and sensitivity, serving as preferred tools for specific recognition of foodborne pathogens. We list the main methods for detecting foodborne pathogens, introduce the evolution and development of polyclonal antibodies, monoclonal antibodies, and genetically engineered antibodies, and review the application of different antibody technologies in the rapid detection of foodborne pathogens. Furthermore, we recognize that the combination of antibody technology and other foodborne pathogen detection methods is currently a reliable means to improve detection performance. Finally, we elaborate on the existing limitations of different antibodies and summarize the current research status and potential issues, aiming to provide a theoretical basis and practical ideas for the development of rapid detection of foodborne pathogens.
Foodborne Diseases/prevention & control* ; Food Microbiology ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/biosynthesis* ; Antibodies/immunology* ; Humans ; Food Contamination/analysis*

Objective: To explore the characteristics of Banna miniature pig liver failure induced by amanita exitialis. Methods: From September to October 2020, a reverse high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was used to determine the toxin content of amanita exitialis solution, and 2.0 mg/kg amanita exitialis solution (α-amanitins+β-amanitins) was administered orally to Banna miniature pigs. Toxic symptoms, blood biochemical indexes and histopathological changes of liver, heart and kidney were observed at each time point. Results: All Banna miniature pigs died within 76 h of exposure, and different degrees of digestive tract symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea appeared between 6 and 36 h. The biochemical indexes of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase, myoglobin, creatine kinase isoenzyme, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine increased significantly at 52 h after exposure, and the differences were statistically significant compared with 0 h (P<0.05). The bleeding of liver and heart was obvious under macroscopic and microscopic observation, hepatocyte necrosis, renal tubule epithelial cell swelling. Conclusion: Large dose of amanita exitialis can cause acute liver failure of Banna miniature pigs, which is in line with the pathophysiological characteristics of acute liver failure, and lays a foundation for further research on the toxic mechanism and detoxification drugs of amanita exitialis induced liver failure.
Animals ; Swine ; Amanitins/metabolism* ; Swine, Miniature/metabolism* ; Amanita/metabolism* ; Liver Failure, Acute ; Mushroom Poisoning/diagnosis*

Objective: To characterize the prevalence and genomic epidemiology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from acute diarrheal patients in Shenzhen City from 2013 to 2021. Methods: Based on the Shenzhen Infectious Diarrhea Surveillance System, acute diarrheal patients were actively monitored in sentinel hospitals from 2013 to 2021. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates was performed, and the genomic population structure, serotypes, virulence genes and multilocus sequence typing were analyzed. Outbreak clusters from 2019 to 2021 were explored based on single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis. Results: A total of 48 623 acute diarrhea cases were monitored in 15 sentinel hospitals from 2013 to 2021, and 1 135 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains were isolated, with a positive isolation rate of 2.3%. Qualified whole-genome sequencing data of 852 isolates were obtained. Eighty-nine serotypes, 21 known ST types and 5 new ST types were identified by sequence analysis, and 93.2% of strains were detected with toxin profile of tdh+trh-. 8 clonal groups (CGs) were captured, with CG3 as the absolute predominance, followed by CG189. The CG3 group was dominated by O3:K6 serotype and ST3 sequence type, while CG189 group was mainly O4:KUT, O4:K8 serotypes and ST189a and ST189 type. A total of 13 clusters were identified, containing 154 cases. About 30 outbreak clusters with 29 outbreak clusters caused by CG3 strains from 2019 to 2021. Conclusion: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major pathogen of acute infectious diarrhea in Shenzhen City, with diverse population structures. CG3 and CG189 have been prevalent and predominant in Shenzhen City for a long time. Scattered outbreaks and persistent sources of contamination ignored by traditional methods could be captured by WGS analysis. Tracing the source of epidemic clone groups and taking precise prevention and control measures are expected to significantly reduce the burden of diarrhea diseases caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in Shenzhen City.
Humans ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus/genetics* ; Diarrhea/epidemiology* ; Foodborne Diseases/epidemiology* ; Serogroup ; Genomics ; Dysentery ; Vibrio Infections/epidemiology* ; Serotyping

Objective: To investigate the poisonous substances and geographical distribution of poisoning in children in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study. The clinical data of 8 385 hospitalized children from January 2016 to December 2020 were extracted from the FUTang Updating Medical Records database. These children aged 0 to 18 years and were admitted due to poisoning. They were grouped according to age (newborns and infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children, adolescents), place of residence (Northeast China, North China, Central China, East China, South China, Southwest China, Northwest China), and mode of discharge (discharge under medical advice, transfer to another hospital under medical advice, discharge without medical advice, death, other). The poisonous substance and causes of poisoning in different groups were analyzed. Results: Among these 8 385 children, 4 734 (56.5%) were male and 3 651 (43.5%) female, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.3∶1. The age was 3 (2, 7) years. The prevalence of poisoning was 51.8% (4 343/8 385) in toddlers, 16.5% (1 380/8 385) in adolescents, 14.8% (1 242/8 385) in preschoolers, 14.4% (1 206/8 385) in school-age children, and 2.5% (214/8 385) in newborns and infants. Drug poisoning accounted for 43.5% (3 649/8 385) and pesticide accounted for 26.8% (2 249/8 385). Drug poisoning was more common in adolescents (684/1 380, 49.6%) and toddlers (2 041/4 343, 47.0%); non-drug poisoning was more common in school-age children (891/1 206, 73.9%), of which carbon monoxide was mainly in newborns and infants (41/214, 19.2%) and food poisoning in children of school age (241/1 206, 20.0%). Regarding regional characteristics, drug poisoning was more frequent in South China (188/246, 64.2%) and non-drug poisoning was more frequent in Southwest China (815/1 123, 72.5%). For drugs, anti-epileptic drugs, sedative-hypnotic drugs and anti-Parkinson's disease drugs had a higher proportion of poisoning in North China (138/1 034, 13.0%) than that in other regions. For non-drug poisoning, pesticides (375/1 123, 33.3%), food poisoning (209/1 123, 18.6%) and contact with poisonous animals (86/1 123, 7.7%) were more common in Southwest China than in other regions; carbon monoxide poisoning was more common in North China (81/1 034, 7.6%) and Northwest China (65/1 064, 6.3%). In Central China, poisoning happened more in toddlers (792/1 295, 61.2%) and less in adolescents (115/1 295, 8.8%) than in other regions. Regarding different age groups, poisoning in adolescent happened more in Northeast China (121/457, 26.5%), North China (240/1 034, 23.2%), and Northwest China (245/1 064, 23.0%). The rate of discharge under medical advice, discharge without medical advice, and mortality rate within the 5 years were 77.0% (6 458/8 385), 20.8% (1 743/8 385), 0.5% (40/8 385), respectively. Conclusions: Poisoning is more common in male and toddlers. Poisonous substances show a regional characteristic and vary in different age groups, with drugs and insecticides as the most common substances.
Infant ; Adolescent ; Animals ; Child ; Male ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Female ; Child, Hospitalized ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning/epidemiology* ; Pesticides ; Foodborne Diseases ; Hospitals ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; China/epidemiology*

Aims: Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne illnesses worldwide. Poultry meat and products are the main sources of human infection. Therefore, the main objective of the current study was to assess the genetic virulence of biofilm-forming Salmonella isolated from chicken sausage and nuggets. Methodology and results: Isolation of Salmonella was carried out using XLD agar; suspected colonies were identified biochemically and then serotyped using the Kauffman-White scheme for detection of somatic (O) and flagellar (H) antigens. Congo red (CR) medium was used for the assessment of biofilm formation of the isolated strains. The invasion gene (invA), the heat-labile Salmonella enterotoxin gene (stn), plasmid-encoded fimbriae (pefA) genes, the protein effectors sopB, sopD and biofilm genes in six Salmonella isolates were investigated using mPCR, following QIAamp® DNA Mini Kit instructions and 1.5% agarose gel electrophoreses. Salmonella was detected in 12%, 8% and 4% of the examined frozen packaged raw chicken sausage, frozen packaged raw chicken nuggets and ready-to-eat sausage. The isolated strains were S. Typhimurium, S. Enteritidis, S. Essen and S. Montevideo. Moreover, mPCR indicated the presence of biofilm gene (csgD gene), stn, sopB and sopD virulence genes in all isolated strains (100%); however, pefA gene failed to be detected. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The current findings showed that every Salmonella isolate examined was capable of creating biofilm at room temperature. As a result, these isolates are more likely to persist on abiotic surfaces, which raises the danger of cross-contamination and foodborne outbreaks.
Salmonella Food Poisoning

Objective: To investigate the molecular characteristics of ciprofloxacin-cefotaxime-azithromycin co-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Thompson (S. Thompson) isolates from sporadic cases of foodborne diseases and aquatic foods in Hunan province. Methods: Ciprofloxacin-cefotaxime-azithromycin co-resistant S. Thompson isolates were selected from samples, and broth microdilution method was used to determine the resistance to 11 antibiotics of these isolates in vitro. Whole genome sequencing was used for investigating antimicrobial resistance gene patterns and phylogenetic relationships of strains. Results: Nine ciprofloxacin-cefotaxime-azithromycin co-resistant isolates were recovered from 19 S. Thompson isolates. Among nine ciprofloxacin-cefotaxime-azithromycin co-resistant isolates, eight of them harbored IncC plasmids, simultaneously carrying plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes qepA and qnrS1, β-lactamase resistance gene bla_CMY-2, azithromycin resistance gene mph(A), and one isolate harbored IncR plasmid, and carried PMQR genes qnrB4 and aac(6')-Ib-cr, bla_OXA-10 and mph(A). Genetic environment analysis showed that qnrS1, qepA, mph(A) and bla_CMY-2 genes might be integrated on genomes of strains by ISKra4, IS91, IS6100 and ISEcp1, respectively. Phylogenetic core genome comparisons demonstrated that ciprofloxacin-cefotaxime-azithromycin co-resistant isolates from patients and aquatic foods were genetically similar and clustered together. Conclusion: Ciprofloxacin-cefotaxime-azithromycin co-resistant S. Thompson isolates have been isolated from both human and aquatic food samples, suggesting that the spread of multidrug resistant Salmonella between human and aquatic animals.
Animals ; Humans ; Ciprofloxacin ; Cefotaxime ; Azithromycin ; Serogroup ; Phylogeny ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/genetics* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Salmonella ; Quinolones ; Foodborne Diseases ; Plasmids ; Salmonella enterica ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests

Objective: To assess the risk of foodborne diseases caused by Cronobacter sakazakii in infant formula powder from retail to feeding and provide formulate suggestions for safe feeding of infants at home. Methods: This study used the special monitoring and risk monitoring data of infant formula powder in Heilongjiang Province and combined data at home and abroad. The @RISK software was used to evaluate the disease risk caused by Cronobacter sakazakii in the process of infant formula powder from retail to feeding. Results: According to the results of this quantitative risk assessment, the risk of foodborne diseases caused by Cronobacter sakazakii at the current consumption pattern in Heilongjiang Province was 5.158×10^-5 persons/million (40.0 ℃ and 50.0 ℃), 1.072×10^-7 persons/million (60.0 ℃), 5.544×10^-14 persons/million (70.0 ℃). When the feeding time of infant formula powder was adjusted to 0-2 h and 2-3 h respectively, the above prediction results did not change. When it was adjusted to 3-4 h, the risk increased. If it was adjusted to 4-24 h, the number of Cronobacter sakazakii increased by 14-24 orders of magnitude at room temperature. If the initial pollution concentration (after flushing) was adjusted to 1 MPN/ml, the average disease risk per meal was 805.7 persons/million (40.0 ℃ and 50.0 ℃), 1.7 persons/million (60.0 ℃) and 9.1 × 10^-7 persons/million (70.0 ℃). The results of sensitivity analysis showed that the water temperature (70.0 ℃), initial pollution concentration, room storage time and temperature were important factors of risk. Conclusion: Controlling the contamination level of Cronobacter sakazakii in infant formula powder, controlling the feeding time within 3 h, storing in refrigerator and mixing with water with temperature not lower than 70.0 ℃ are effective measures to prevent infants from eating infant formula powder infected by Cronobacter sakazakii.
Infant ; Humans ; Cronobacter sakazakii ; Infant Formula ; Food Microbiology ; Powders ; Risk Assessment ; Foodborne Diseases

Objective: To analyze the Staphylococcal enterotoxins, Staphylococcal enterotoxin genes, drug resistance and molecular typing of 41 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from 2 food-borne illness outbreaks on 21 August and 27 September 2020 in Guangzhou. Methods: A total of 41 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from 2 outbreaks were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and spa typing. The Staphylococcal enterotoxins typing and the Staphylococcal enterotoxin genes of the isolates were analyzed by ELISA and PCR, respectively. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was performed by disc diffusion. 21 Staphylococcus aureus isolates were characterized using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Based on the whole genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), the phylogenetic tree was constructed by Snippy. Results: 41 Staphylococcus aureus isolates were divided into 2 types by MLST and spa typing: ST6-t701 and ST7-t091. 2 ST7-t091 isolates were identified as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). 25 ST7-t091 isolates and 14 ST6-t701 isolates were methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), and were resistant to 7 and 6 antibiotics, respectively. All isolates were positive for sea by PCR. WGS revealed all 21 isolates carried scn, sak, sea, hla, hld, hlgA, hlgB, hlgC, lukD virulence genes. The results showed the isolates contained an immune evasion cluster type D which located in bacteriophage ϕSa3. The SNP phylogenetic tree showed 2 MRSA ST7-t091 were constituted a separate clade from the 12 MSSA ST7-t091 isolates and 7 ST6-t701 isolates showed high similarity to each other. Conclusion: Base on the results of phylogenetic analysis, the 2 food-borne illness outbreaks occurred on 21 August and 27 September 2020 are caused by the combination of the MRSA ST7-t091 strain and the MSSA ST7-t091 strain, and the MSSA ST6-t701 strain, respectively. All isolates have high level of antibiotic resistance and carry high virulent genes.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Disease Outbreaks ; Foodborne Diseases/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/genetics* ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Multilocus Sequence Typing/methods* ; Phylogeny ; Staphylococcal Infections/epidemiology* ; Staphylococcus aureus/genetics*

Objective: To study the epidemiological and pathogenic characteristics of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from outbreaks cases in Guangdong Province, 2017-2020. Methods: Epidemiological characteristics of 87 outbreak events caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus were analyzed. Strains were serotyped, and then analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results: The food-borne disease outbreak caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus was found in 16 cities. 44.8% (39/87) and 37.9% (33/87) of the outbreaks occurred in hotels, restaurants and school canteens, respectively. Improper food processing and storage (40.2%, 35/87) and cross contamination caused by indiscriminate raw and cooked food (25.3%, 22/87) were the main causes of food-borne disease outbreaks of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The main serotypes of patient derived strains were O3:K6 (87.5%) and O4:KUT (22.5%). The similarity value between O3:K6 type isolates was 65.5%-100.0%, and the PFGE pattern similarity value of O4:KUT type isolates was 66.5%-100.0%. Conclusion: Outbreaks caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus are widely distributed in Guangdong province. It is necessary to strengthen the publicity and education on the correct handling of food in hotels, restaurants, schools, and unit canteens. O3:K6 and O4:KUT serotypes are the main serotypes of the outbreak. There is genetic diversity among the epidemic strains.
China/epidemiology* ; Disease Outbreaks ; Foodborne Diseases/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Serotyping ; Vibrio Infections/epidemiology* ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus/genetics*

Objectives: To analyze the causes of a foodborne outbreak in rural areas of Xinjiang between April 2 and April 5 in 2016. Methods: Cases and the relevant background information were obtained by consulting outpatient records of local health centers and regional people's hospitals and interviewing doctors and residents. All samples were collected by the laboratory test through epidemiological and food hygiene investigations. The χ² test (Fisher's exact probability method) was used to compare differences in incidence rates. Molecular typing, virulence genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPS) were analyzed by using Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). Results: A total of 142 cases were found in this study, with incidence rate at 5.7‰ (142/24 979). Among all cases, the main symptoms were nausea (94%), vomiting (92%) and abdominal pain (67%), and the incubation period was about 2 h (1-7.5 h). There were 16 Staphylococcus aureus isolates identified and all of them could produce A+C+E mixed enterotoxin. PFGE showed 100% homology. WGS further revealed that there were 9 and 1 strains contained by Sequence Type 1 (ST1) and ST5405, respectively. All ST1 strains were in the same clade on the genome tree. Among these, 7 strains shared close proximity (74 SNPs) and 2 strains shared close relationships as well (127 SNPs). The S. aureus isolates that caused the outbreak were introduced by a mutant isolate from the milk supply station. Conclusions: This foodborne outbreak was mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus contamination.
Disease Outbreaks ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Foodborne Diseases/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Staphylococcus aureus/genetics*