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From farm to plate - make food safe

Many of us take it for granted that the food and water we consume is safe, but this is not the case for so many people around the world; the World Health Organization estimates that over 2 million deaths occur every year as a result of contaminated food or drinking water.

And for those who have access to safe food, do we question how the food and water arrived on our plates? How do farmers keep livestock safe from diseases?

World Health Day 2015 focuses on food safety, highlighting the importance of making food and water safe to consume. This series From farm to plate – make food safe features recently published articles from our microbiology and veterinary journals, investigating different aspects of food safety and security.

  1. Salmonella has been recognized as a major cause of food borne illness associated with meat products worldwide. The wide spread of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella has been a serious global hu...

    Authors: Legesse Garedew, Zenabu Hagos, Zelalem Addis, Reta Tesfaye and Bidir Zegeye
    Citation: Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control 2015 4:21
  2. The emergence and worldwide spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae is of great concern to public health services. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of carbapenemase-producin...

    Authors: Katrin Zurfluh, Magdalena T Nüesch-Inderbinen, Laurent Poirel, Patrice Nordmann, Herbert Hächler and Roger Stephan
    Citation: Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control 2015 4:9
  3. The poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae is best known as a threat to the laying-hen industry; adversely affecting production and hen health and welfare throughout the globe, both directly and through its role a...

    Authors: David R George, Robert D Finn, Kirsty M Graham, Monique F Mul, Veronika Maurer, Claire Valiente Moro and Olivier AE Sparagano
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2015 8:178
  4. Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan parasite capable of infecting all warm-blooded animals including livestock. In these animals, the parasite forms cysts in the tissues which ...

    Authors: Clare M Hamilton, Patrick J Kelly, Paul M Bartley, Alison Burrells, Alice Porco, Deidra Metzler, Kirsten Crouch, Jennifer K Ketzis, Elisabeth A Innes and Frank Katzer
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2015 8:166
  5. Fasciola hepatica, a trematode parasite (liver fluke), infects a wide range of host species causing fasciolosis. The disease is prevalent world-wide and causes considerable economic losses to t...

    Authors: Abbey Olsen, Klaas Frankena, Rene’ Bødker, Nils Toft, Stig M Thamsborg, Heidi L Enemark and Tariq Halasa
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2015 8:160
  6. Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by infection with blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. Transmission of, and exposure to, the parasite result from faecal or urinary contamination of freshwater containing int...

    Authors: Jack ET Grimes, David Croll, Wendy E Harrison, Jürg Utzinger, Matthew C Freeman and Michael R Templeton
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2015 8:156
  7. Bats are amongst the natural reservoirs of many coronaviruses (CoVs) of which some can lead to severe infection in human. African bats are known to harbor a range of pathogens (e.g., Ebola and Marburg viruses)...

    Authors: Norosoa H Razanajatovo, Lalaina A Nomenjanahary, David A Wilkinson, Julie H Razafimanahaka, Steven M Goodman, Richard K Jenkins, Julia PG Jones and Jean-Michel Heraud
    Citation: Virology Journal 2015 12:42
  8. Whirling disease, caused by the myxozoan parasite Myxobolus cerebralis, has high economical and ecological importance worldwide. Susceptibility to the disease varies considerably among salmonid species. In brown ...

    Authors: Edit Eszterbauer, Barbara Forró, Zoltán Tolnai, Csaba Ferenc Guti, Gergely Zsigmond, György Hoitsy and Dennis Marc Kallert
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2015 8:141
  9. Water availability is a major limiting factor for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in rain-fed agricultural systems worldwide. Root system architecture has important functional implications for the timing ...

    Authors: Cecile AI Richard, Lee T Hickey, Susan Fletcher, Raeleen Jennings, Karine Chenu and Jack T Christopher
    Citation: Plant Methods 2015 11:13
  10. The success of the probiotics in delivery of health benefits depends on their ability to withstand the technological and gastrointestinal conditions; hence development of robust cultures is critical to the pro...

    Authors: Moloko Gloria Mathipa and Mapitsi Silvester Thantsha
    Citation: Gut Pathogens 2015 7:5
  11. Chicken gut microbiota has paramount roles in host performance, health and immunity. Understanding the topological difference in gut microbial community composition is crucial to provide knowledge on the funct...

    Authors: Mohd Asrore Mohd Shaufi, Chin Chin Sieo, Chun Wie Chong, Han Ming Gan and Yin Wan Ho
    Citation: Gut Pathogens 2015 7:4
  12. While toxins from aquatic cyanobacteria are a well-recognised cause of disease in birds and animals, exposure of grazing livestock to terrestrial cyanobacteria has not been described. This study identified ter...

    Authors: Bruce C McGorum, R Scott Pirie, Laura Glendinning, Gerry McLachlan, James S Metcalf, Sandra A Banack, Paul A Cox and Geoffrey A Codd
    Citation: Veterinary Research 2015 46:16
  13. In Brazil, ordinance no. 2,914/2011 of the Ministry of Health requires the absence of total coliforms and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in treated water. However it is essential that water treatment is effective aga...

    Authors: Mariana A Nascimento, Maria E Magri, Camila D Schissi and Célia RM Barardi
    Citation: Virology Journal 2015 12:30
  14. Anaplasmosis is caused by obligate intracellular bacteria in the genus Anaplasma. These bacterial pathogens are transmitted by ticks and impact both human and animal health. This study was conducted to determine ...

    Authors: Jifei Yang, Youquan Li, Zhijie Liu, Junlong Liu, Qingli Niu, Qiaoyun Ren, Ze Chen, Guiquan Guan, Jianxun Luo and Hong Yin
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2015 8:108
  15. The prevalence of Salmonella in food producing animals is very low in Sweden due to rigorous control programmes. However, no active surveillance is in place in sheep. The authorities decided to perform a prevalen...

    Authors: Kaisa Sörén, Mats Lindblad, Cecilia Jernberg, Erik Eriksson, Lennart Melin, Helene Wahlström and Maria Lundh
    Citation: Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2015 57:6
  16. The emergence and persistence of antimicrobial resistance is driven by varied factors including the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and variable drug efficacy and presents a major threat to the control of in...

    Authors: Sylvia Omulo, Samuel M Thumbi, M Kariuki Njenga and Douglas R Call
    Citation: Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control 2015 4:1
  17. Calf output is a key element in determining the profitability of a suckler beef enterprise. Infectious agents such as Bovine Virus Diarrhoea (BVD) virus, colostrum management and parasitic challenge can all af...

    Authors: James O’Shaughnessy, Bernadette Earley, Damien Barrett, Michael L Doherty, Paul Crosson, Theo de Waal and John F Mee
    Citation: Irish Veterinary Journal 2015 68:1
  18. Vibrio cholerae, which is a serious human intestinal pathogen, often resides and thrives in estuaries but requires major self-regulation to overcome intestinal hyperosmotic stress or high salt stress in water and...

    Authors: Xiuping Fu, Weili Liang, Pengcheng Du, Meiying Yan and Biao Kan
    Citation: Gut Pathogens 2014 6:47
  19. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has been reported in the human population and pigs are a recognized reservoir for HEV and a possible source of HEV transmission to humans. Spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) is an ingred...

    Authors: Joan Pujols, Carmen Rodríguez, Nuria Navarro, Sonia Pina-Pedrero, Joy M Campbell, Joe Crenshaw and Javier Polo
    Citation: Virology Journal 2014 11:232
  20. Johne’s disease (JD) is a chronic granulomatous enteritis affecting ruminants. A number of farm management practices are associated with increased risk of JD transmission. The aim of the current study was to d...

    Authors: Aideen E Kennedy, Eugene F O’Doherty, Noel Byrne, Jim O’Mahony, E M Kennedy and Riona G Sayers
    Citation: Irish Veterinary Journal 2014 67:27
  21. Cronobacter sakazakii is considered as an emerging foodborne pathogen. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize virulent strains of Cronobacter sakazakii from food samples of Bangladesh.

    Authors: Md Fakruddin, Mizanur Rahaman, Monzur Morshed Ahmed and Md Mahfuzul Hoque
    Citation: Biological Research 2014 47:63
  22. Infectious diseases of livestock have negative consequences for animal production as well as animal health and welfare and can be transmitted between farms via direct (live animal movements) as well as indirec...

    Authors: Emelie Olofsson, Maria Nöremark and Susanna Sternberg Lewerin
    Citation: Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2014 56:70
  23. Probiotics and prebiotics are promising strategies to counteract Salmonella prevalence in swine. In the present study, we investigated the effects of prebiotics (fructo- (FOS), galacto- (GOS) and mannan- (MOS) ol...

    Authors: Sabine Amani Tanner, Christophe Chassard, Annina Zihler Berner and Christophe Lacroix
    Citation: Gut Pathogens 2014 6:44
  24. The purpose of this study was to investigate crucial factors on HACCP system implementation in domestic livestock product plants, and to offer job satisfaction and the career prospect of HACCP system operators...

    Authors: Jung-Hyun Kim, Ki-Chang Nam, Cheorun Jo and Dong-Gyun Lim
    Citation: Journal of Animal Science and Technology 2014 56:19
  25. Hepatitis E is a disease of major public-health concern mainly in developing countries. Although molecular and sero-epidemiological investigations of HEV have been performed in many provinces in China, the epi...

    Authors: Xianghua Shu, Xinhui Duan, Chunlian Song, Jintao Li, Lei Jiang, Gefen Yin and Wengui Li
    Citation: Virology Journal 2014 11:162
  26. Food taboos are known from virtually all human societies. Most religions declare certain food items fit and others unfit for human consumption. Dietary rules and regulations may govern particular phases of the...

    Authors: Victor Benno Meyer-Rochow
    Citation: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2009 5:18
  27. The requirement of cholesterol for internalization of eukaryotic pathogens like protozoa (Leishmaniasis, Malaria and Toxoplasmosis) and the exchange of cholesterol along with other metabolites during reproduction...

    Authors: Devendra Bansal, Harinderpal Singh Bhatti and Rakesh Sehgal
    Citation: Lipids in Health and Disease 2005 4:10