Course Code: Z0395/FOOD6007

Course : Food Microbiology

Effective Period : February 2018

MICROBIAL FOODBORNE PATHOGENS

Session 7
 Reference (1)

Bibek Ray and Arun Bhunia.

(2014). Fundamental Food
Microbiology. 05. CRC Press.
New York.
ISBN: 978- 1-46656-443-5.
 Reference (2)

James M. Jay, Martin J. L

and David A. G. (2005).
Modern Food
Microbiology. 07.
Springer. United State.
ISBN: 978-0-38723-180-
8.
 Reference (3)

Michael P. Doyle,
Robert L. Buchanan.
(2013). Food
Microbiology:
Fundamentals and
Frontiers. ASM Press.
Washington D.C.
ISBN: 978-1-55581-
626-1
 Learning Objectives
On successful completion of this course, student will be able to:
• LO 1: Analyze food safety problems and solution, microbial
growth kinetic and measurement and intrinsic and extrinsic
factors affecting the growth of microbes in foods
• LO 2: Classify microorganisms and recognize their role in the
food production
• LO 3: Distinguish the roles of bacteria, mycotoxin, viruses and
parasites to foodborne diseases, and compare pathogens that
cause infection and intoxication
• LO 4: Examine the use of sanitation, heat treatment,
irradiation, modified atmosphere, antimicrobial preservative
and hurdle concept to control microbial growth.
 OUTLINE

 Opportunistic bacterial pathogens,

moulds and mycotoxin, viruses, parasites,
and fish and selfish toxin
 New and emerging foodborne pathogens
 Indicators of bacterial pathogens
 OPPORTUNISTIC BACTERIAL PATHOGENS, MOLDS
AND MYCOTOXINS, VIRUSES, PARASITES,
AND FISH AND SHELLFISH TOXINS

Besides the foodborne bacterial pathogens several other bacterial species

are suspected of having the potential to cause foodborne illnesses.
Normally, they are not pathogenic to humans, but strains in these species
have been known to produce toxins.
, consumption of foods contaminated with these bacterial species and
strains may cause illness, especially under certain circumstances, such as
if they are consumed in extremely high numbers or the individuals are
either very young or not in normal physical condition or immunologically
challenged.
These bacterial species and strains are considered opportunistic
pathogens.
Opportunistic Bacterial Pathogens
Aeromonas hydrophila
Plesiomonas shigelloides
Non-Escherichia coli coliforms
Toxigenic Physchrotrophic Bacillus Species
 OPPORTUNISTIC BACTERIAL PATHOGENS, MOLDS
AND MYCOTOXINS, VIRUSES, PARASITES,
AND FISH AND SHELLFISH TOXINS

Diseases Caused by Viruses and Prion

Besides These viruses include Norovirus, Hepatitis A virus, Astrovirus,
Rotavirus, and Sapovirus.
unlike bacterial pathogens, viruses are difficult to detect and recover from a
contaminated food. Foodborne viral infections can occur only from enteric
pathogenic human viruses
In recent years, hepatitis A virus (HAV), norovirus (NoV), Sapovirus, Rotavirus,
and hepatitis E virus (HEV) have been associated with foodborne infections.
Among them, hepatitis A and norovirus are more predominant
Food contaminated with the fecal matter of infected people directly (from
food handlers) or indirectly (via sewage and polluted water) is the main
source of both hepatitis A and NoV outbreaks.
The two major preventative methods of foodborne virus infections are to kill
the viruses in contaminated foods and to adopt good sanitation and personal
hygiene habits to control contamination. Proper heat treatment, such as
pasteurization, is enough to kill the viruses. Steaming lightly to open the
shellfish may not be an effective heat-treatment procedure.
 OPPORTUNISTIC BACTERIAL PATHOGENS, MOLDS
AND MYCOTOXINS, VIRUSES, PARASITES,
AND FISH AND SHELLFISH TOXINS
Diseases Caused by Viruses and Prion
Norovirus
Norovirus (NoV) infection is characterized by self-limiting vomiting and
diarrhea and occurs all year round but peaks in winter months.
It is a nonenveloped virus with an icosahedral symmetric structure and
is very small (27–38 nm). It is a single-stranded RNA virus and belongs to
the family of Caliciviridae.
Norovirus has been grouped into five genogroups (GI-GV), and
genogroups GI, GII, and GIV are known to infect humans
Norovirus transmission occurs primarily from person to person through
contacts or aerosolized vomit, water, and foods contaminated with feces
or vomit
The infectious dose of norovirus is very low: about 10 viral particles.
NoVs infect the mature enterocytes covering the intestinal villi leading
to massive cell damage and malabsorption, leading to diarrhea
The gastrointestinal symptoms include explosive projectile vomiting,
nausea, cramps, diarrhea, chills, headache, dehydration, and a high-
grade fever. Adults are more susceptible to norovirus than children and
the incubation period is 24–48 hours.
 OPPORTUNISTIC BACTERIAL PATHOGENS, MOLDS
AND MYCOTOXINS, VIRUSES, PARASITES,
AND FISH AND SHELLFISH TOXINS
Diseases Caused by Viruses and Prion
Hepatitis A Virus
Hepatitis A is a nonenveloped, single-stranded RNA virus and belongs to
the Picornaviridae family and Hepatovirus genus
The virus remains stable in the environment for at least a month and
may be resistant to heating and disinfectant, such as chlorine.
HAV is excreted in very high numbers in human feces
The viruses rapidly move to the liver and invade hepatocytes. In affected
individuals, symptoms occur after approximately four weeks with a
range of two to seven weeks.
The general symptoms in the early stage involve fever, malaise, nausea,
vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and inflammation of the liver leading
to jaundice at a later stage
Severity of the disease is strongly associated with age. Young children
display an asymptomatic form of the disease while young adults and
adults show symptomatic disease
 OPPORTUNISTIC BACTERIAL PATHOGENS, MOLDS
AND MYCOTOXINS, VIRUSES, PARASITES,
AND FISH AND SHELLFISH TOXINS
Molds and Mycotoxins
many strains of molds, while growing in a suitable
environment (including in foods), produce metabolites that
are toxic to humans, animals, and birds and are grouped as
mycotoxins.
Consumption of foods containing mycotoxins causes
mycotoxicosis. They are secondary metabolites and not
proteins or enteric toxins.
Many are carcinogens and, when consumed, can cause
cancer in different tissues in the body, such as
hepatocarcinoma (liver cancer). Some cause toxicity of
organs
 OPPORTUNISTIC BACTERIAL PATHOGENS, MOLDS
AND MYCOTOXINS, VIRUSES, PARASITES,
AND FISH AND SHELLFISH TOXINS
Molds and Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins, if consumed at high dosage, cause acute to chronic
diseases, and they are mutagenic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic.
The symptoms may range from skin irritation, vomiting,
immunosuppression, birth defects, cancer, liver cancer,
hepatotoxicity, liver hemorrhage, kidney damage
(nephrotoxicity), neurotoxicity, brain and lung hemorrhage, and
death.
In preventing human mycotoxicosis, the contamination of food
with toxigenic mold strains (or all molds, unless necessary)
should be reduced.
Preventing growth in food (and feeds) should be a major
consideration in reducing the incidence of human mycotoxicosis.
This can be achieved by using anaerobic packaging, reducing A W
where possible to ≤0.6, freezing, and by using specific
preservatives against mold growth
 OPPORTUNISTIC BACTERIAL PATHOGENS, MOLDS
AND MYCOTOXINS, VIRUSES, PARASITES,
AND FISH AND SHELLFISH TOXINS
Molds and Mycotoxins
 OPPORTUNISTIC BACTERIAL PATHOGENS, MOLDS
AND MYCOTOXINS, VIRUSES, PARASITES,
AND FISH AND SHELLFISH TOXINS
Molds and Mycotoxins
Toxins Associated with
Fish and Shellfish
 OPPORTUNISTIC BACTERIAL PATHOGENS, MOLDS
AND MYCOTOXINS, VIRUSES, PARASITES,
AND FISH AND SHELLFISH TOXINS
Toxins Associated with Fish and Shellfish
 NEW AND EMERGING
FOODBORNE PATHOGENS
 NEW AND EMERGING
FOODBORNE PATHOGENS
 NEW AND EMERGING
FOODBORNE PATHOGENS
 NEW AND EMERGING
FOODBORNE PATHOGENS
 NEW AND EMERGING FOODBORNE PATHOGENS

Other Emerging Foodborne Pathogens of Concern

1. Cronobacter sakazaki
2. Clostridium difficile
3. Escherichia coli O104:H4
4. Hepatitis E Virus
5. Nipah Virus
 INDICATORS OF BACTERIAL
PATHOGENS

Two types of microbiological indicator assays are used: index

organisms and indicator organisms.
An index organism is an organism, a group of organisms, or
their metabolic byproducts that is predictive of the presence of
a pathogen. However, this system is not as effective as an
indicator organism, which can indicate the presence of a
pathogen.
Several criteria were suggested for selecting a bacterial group
or species as an indicator of enteric foodborne pathogens
Some are listed with brief explanations:
 INDICATORS OF BACTERIAL
PATHOGENS

1. The indicator should preferably contain a single species or a few species with some
common and identifiable biochemical and other characteristics in order to be able
to identify them from the many different types of microorganisms that might be
present in a food.
2. The indicator should be of enteric origin, that is, it should share the same habitat as
the enteric pathogens and should be present when and where the pathogens are
likely to be present.
3. The indicator should be nonpathogenic so that its handling in the laboratory does
not require safety precautions as required for pathogens.
4. The indicator should be present in the fecal matter in much higher numbers than
the enteric pathogens so that they can be easily detected (enumerated or isolated)
even when a food is contaminated with small amounts of fecal matter.
5. The indicator should be detected (enumerated or isolated) and identified within a
short time, easily, and economically, so that a product, following processing, can be
distributed quickly, and several samples from a batch can be tested.
6. The indicator should be detected by using one or more newly developed molecular
biology techniques for rapid identification.
7. The indicator should be detected (enumerated or isolated) even in the presence of
large numbers of associated microorganisms, which can be achieved by using
compounds that inhibit growth of associated microorganisms but not of the
indicator.
 INDICATORS OF BACTERIAL
PATHOGENS

8. The indicator should have a growth and survival rate in a food the same as that of the enteric
pathogens. It should not grow more slowly or die off faster than the pathogens in a food. If
itdies off more rapidly than the pathogen, then, theoretically, a food can be free of the
indicator during storage but can still have pathogens.
9. The indicator should not suffer sublethal injury more (in degree) than the pathogens do when
exposed to physical and chemical stresses. If the indicator is more susceptible to sublethal
stresses, it will not be detected by the selective methods used in the enumeration, and a food
may show no or very low acceptable levels of the indicator even when the pathogens are
present at higher levels.
10. The indicator should preferably be present when the pathogens are present in a food;
conversely, it should be absent when the enteric pathogens are absent. Unless such correlations
exist, the importance of an indicator to indicate the possible presence of a pathogen in a food
reduces greatly.
11. There should preferably be a direct relationship between the level of an indicator present and
the probability of the presence of an enteric pathogen in a food. This will help set up regulatory
standards or specifications for an indicator limit for the acceptance or rejection of a food for
consumption. For this criterion, it is very important to recognize whether the high numbers of
an indicator in a food have resulted from a high level of initial contamination (and a greater
chance for the presence of a pathogen) or from their growth in the food from a very low initial
contamination (in which case a pathogen may not be present even when the indicator is
present in high numbers).
INDICATORS OF BACTERIAL
PATHOGENS
 NEW AND EMERGING FOODBORNE PATHOGENS

Miscellaneous Indicator Organisms

1. Staphylococcus aureus has been used to indicate the extent of human
handling in such matrices as foods from food service establishments and
fermented meat and dairy products (fermentation failures).
2. Listeria species have been used to indicate the effectiveness of sanitation
programs in food production facilities for ready-to-eat refrigerated
products.
3. Salmonella enterica has been used to indicate control of enteric bacteria in
raw meat and poultry.
4. Coliphages have been used to indicate the effectiveness of enteric virus
control in water and shellfish.
5. The thermophilic bacilli (such as Anoxybacillus flavithermus and
Geobacillus spp.) have been used to indicate poor hygienic practices
during dairy processing. Growth of these indicators in milk can also cause
product defect and off flavor