Ветеринарно-санітарна оцінка якості та безпеки харчових продуктів у Житомирському регіоні

Since December 2022, an increase in invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes has been observed in the Czech Republic, with a shift in the clinical presentation and age of patients. Unlike in previous years, invasive disease is more common in children and adolescents under 18 years of age and in previously healthy middle-aged adults. An increase has been noticed in the number of S. pyogenes isolates from primarily sterile sites such as haemoculture, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural effusion fluid, joint fluid, and postmortem specimens. Routine emm gene typing revealed emm1 to be the predominant emm type of S. pyogenes. Between January 2023 and July 2023, 46% of all S. pyogenes isolates from invasive cases were assigned to the emm1 type. The globallyspread M1UK sublineage is characterized by differences in the expression of seven genes, including the streptococcal pyrogenic toxin A (speA) gene, compared to historical emm1 iGAS strains. The aim of this study is to determine whether the more toxigenic M1UK sublineage is associated with the increase in invasive disease in the Czech Republic. Whole genome sequencing of 41 S. pyogenes isolates from patients with invasive disease recovered in the Czech Republic in 2018 and 2019 and from December 2022 to May 2023 was performed using the MiSeq instrument (Illumina). Bioinformatics analysis was performed using freely available online tools the Bacterial and Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center. Based on whole genome sequencing data of 41 emm1 isolates of S. pyogenes from patients with invasive infectious disease recovered in 2018 and 2019 and from December 2022 to May 2023, the M1UK sublineage was found to be predominant from December 2022 to May 2023. The reason for the spread of the M1UK sublineage in the Czech Republic late in 2022 and in the first half of 2023 is not entirely clear, but it may be related to reduced immunity due to limited GAS transmission during lockdowns, especially in children. Another factor that may have contributed to the high incidence of invasive infectious diseases is the seasonal circulation of respiratory viruses.

We identified hypervirulent Streptococcus pyogenes in 27 and 420 isolates from patients with invasive and non-invasive diseases, respectively, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, between 2003 and 2012, in an attempt to understand why the prevalence of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) suddenly increased in this location during 2011. Hypervirulent strains belong to the emm1 genotype, with a mutation in the covR/S genes that regulate many other genes, encoding virulence determinants and resulting in the absence of the proteinase streptococcal exotoxin B and the production of virulence factors such as the superantigen streptococcal exotoxin A, the nuclease streptococcal DNase, the cytotoxin NAD-glycohydrolase, and the hemolysin streptolysin O. We found 1 strain from invasive disease and 1 from non-invasive disease with traits similar to those of hypervirulent strains, except that the sda1 gene was absent. We also found 1 non-emm1 strain with phenotypic and genetic traits identical to those of the emm1 hypervirulent strains except that it did not belong to emm1 genotype, from non-invasive diseases cases in 2011. These findings suggested that hypervirulent and hypervirulent-like strains from invasive and non-invasive disease cases could have at least partially contributed to the sudden increase in the number of patients with STSS in Aichi during 2011.

A RARE CASE OF HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE CELLULITIS LEADING TO BACTEREMIA IN A HEALTHY ADULT

Distribution of PCV13 and PPSV23 Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in Argentinean adults with invasive disease, 2013–2017

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis and a major cause of other serious invasive diseases among children aged <5 years in the United States before Hib conjugate vaccines became available in 1988. In 1991, all infants starting at age 2 months were recommended to receive Hib conjugate vaccines; by 1996, incidence of Hib invasive disease (i.e., illness clinically compatible with invasive disease, such as meningitis or sepsis, with isolation of the bacterium from a normally sterile site) among children aged <5 years had declined by >99%. This report presents 1998-2000 Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) surveillance data, which indicate that the incidence of reported Hib invasive disease remains low. Achieving the national health objective for 2010 of reducing to zero indigenous Hib invasive disease cases in children aged <5 years will require improved age-appropriate vaccination of children, complete reporting of vaccination and relevant medical histories, standardization of the serotyping procedure, and complete ascertainment and reporting of serotype for all Hi invasive disease cases.

Fish is a valuable food product that has a high biological value, but spoils quickly because its muscle tissue contains a lot of moisture and can be contaminated with microflora through the intestines, mucus of the skin and gills. Insufficiently fresh fish can cause serious diseases: toxicoinfections and toxicosis, intestinal infectious diseases caused by Shigella, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Proteus, Clostridia, various coccal microflora. The urgency of this problem encourages the study of sanitary-indicative microorganisms of fish and seafood to prevent foodborne infections. The purpose of the work was to study the microbial contamination of ready-to-eat fish and seafood sold in the retail chains of the city of Dnipro, to determine the compliance of product quality with sanitary requirements. Material and methods. 53 samples of fish and seafood of different brands were analyzed: 23 samples of low-salt products, among which were preserves from fish "Herring", preserves from mussels, salted low-salt and 30 dried products: dried squid, dried squid rings and dried bull. The number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms, Escherichia coli bacteria, the presence of coccal microflora, mold and anaerobes were determined in each of the samples. Results and discussion. The results of the sanitary-microbiological study showed that 43.4% of the analyzed samples (23 samples) did not meet the normative indicators. The largest deviations from the norm were found in the content of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms and Escherichia coli bacteria. The study showed that in 39.6% of samples the number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms was exceeded, and in 32.0% - the number of Escherichia coli bacteria. Most contaminated products were found among the samples of dried squid – 50% of samples, preserves from fish "Herring" – 36.4% and preserves from mussels – 36.4%, dried squid rings – 33.3%. It was found that 18.8% of samples of fish and fish products contained Staphylococcus aureus, 7.5% of samples – sulfate-reducing clostridia. Conclusion. The obtained results indicated the non-compliance of a large number of fish and seafood with the normative indicators. This may be due to the condition of the reservoirs in which the catch was made, improper processing of raw materials, non-compliance with storage conditions, transportation of the product. Therefore, it is important to further improve the quality of fish products by controlling raw materials, compliance of production technology with international and national standards. The solution of this problem is possible under the condition of state involvement in the process of quality control of fish products on the market of Ukraine. The results of research can be used to monitor the quality of fish and seafood sold in retail chains

Streptococcus pneumoniae is commonly carried asymptomatically in the human nasopharynx, but it also causes serious and invasive diseases such as pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis, as well as less serious but highly prevalent infections such as otitis media. We have previously shown that closely related pneumococci (of the same capsular serotype and multilocus sequence type [ST]) can display distinct pathogenic profiles in mice that correlate with clinical isolation site (e.g., blood versus ear), suggesting stable niche adaptation within a clonal lineage. This has provided an opportunity to identify determinants of disease tropism. Genomic analysis identified 17 and 27 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or insertions/deletions in protein coding sequences between blood and ear isolates of serotype 14 ST15 and serotype 3 ST180, respectively. SNPs in raffinose uptake and utilization genes (rafR or rafK) were detected in both serotypes/lineages. Ear isolates were consistently defective in growth in media containing raffinose as the sole carbon source, as well as in expression of raffinose pathway genes aga, rafG, and rafK, relative to their serotype/ST-matched blood isolates. Similar differences were also seen between serotype 23F ST81 blood and ear isolates. Analysis of rafR allelic exchange mutants of the serotype 14 ST15 blood and ear isolates demonstrated that the SNP in rafR was entirely responsible for their distinct in vitro phenotypes and was also the determinant of differential tropism for the lungs versus ear and brain in a mouse intranasal challenge model. These data suggest that the ability of pneumococci to utilize raffinose determines the nature of disease.IMPORTANCES. pneumoniae is a component of the commensal nasopharyngeal microflora of humans, but from this reservoir, it can progress to localized or invasive disease with a frequency that translates into massive global morbidity and mortality. However, the factors that govern the switch from commensal to pathogen, as well as those that determine disease tropism, are poorly understood. Here we show that capacity to utilize raffinose can determine the nature of the disease caused by a given pneumococcal strain. Moreover, our findings provide an interesting example of convergent evolution, whereby pneumococci belonging to two unrelated serotypes/lineages exhibit SNPs in separate genes affecting raffinose uptake and utilization that correlate with distinct pathogenic profiles in vivo This further underscores the critical role of differential carbohydrate metabolism in the pathogenesis of localized versus invasive pneumococcal disease.

The immunopathogenesis of group A streptococcal skin disease

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a gram-positive bacterium, colonizer of the human nasopharynx capable of causing severe invasive disease. Colonization of the nasopharynx is a prerequisite for the development of invasive disease and depends upon surface-bound bacterial proteins interacting with host cell receptors. Pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA) is a highly conserved lipoprotein involved in the attachment to host airway cells via the host receptor Annexin A2 (ANXA2). However, the specific structural domains of PsaA responsible for ANXA2 recognition and binding remain unknown. Here, we employed a structure-based peptide approach to map the ANXA2-binding domain of PsaA. Five recombinant PsaA peptides were designed and generated based on the crystal structure of PsaA. Far-western blot analysis using ANXA2-overexpressing HEK293T/17 cell lysates revealed that the interaction with ANXA2 was specific to the C-terminal subdomain of PsaA. Cell-binding assays and flow cytometry further confirmed the interaction between the C-terminal subdomain of PsaA and cell surface-expressed ANXA2. Furthermore, polyclonal antibodies against the C-terminal subdomain significantly inhibited the binding of full-length PsaA to ANXA2-overexpressing cells, whereas antibodies against other subdomains did not. Consistently, polyclonal antibodies against the C-terminus of PsaA reduced the binding of S. pneumoniae to A549 lung epithelial cells to a greater extent than other antibodies. Together, these findings establish that the C-terminus of PsaA is crucial for ANXA2 receptor recognition. Targeting this specific subdomain may be a promising strategy for developing next-generation protein-based pneumococcal vaccines that aim at blocking bacterial adherence.IMPORTANCEStreptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of millions of deaths worldwide each year due to its ability to transition from an asymptomatic colonizer to an invasive pathogen. Current pneumococcal conjugate and polysaccharide vaccines protect against pneumococcal disease, but overall colonization rates have remained stable. Since pneumococcus is an opportunistic pathogen, decreasing overall colonization rates is essential for preventing progression to disease. The significance of our research lies in mapping functional epitopes within key pneumococcal adhesins that play a critical role in bacterial adherence. Defining these adhesion epitopes is essential for the rational design of next-generation protein-based vaccines capable of blocking colonization and ultimately reducing the global burden of invasive pneumococcal diseases.

The demographic situation in rural areas of Ukraine has become increasingly significant in light of the administrative-territorial reform of 2020, the country's European integration course, and contemporary social challenges, including the repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine war. Negative demographic trends, such as depopulation, population aging, and declining birth rates, critically affect national security and the sustainable development of regions, highlighting the importance of this research. Objective of the study: to evaluate demographic trends in the rural areas of the Zhytomyr region as a foundation for the sustainable development of the region and for shaping state policies to support rural populations. The study is based on statistical data provided by the Main Department of Statistics in the Zhytomyr region, the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration, and analytical materials from Ukrainian and international researchers. Methods of statistical analysis, graphical modeling, and comparison were employed. The research identified a persistent decline in the rural population of the Zhytomyr region—since 1995, its size has decreased by 28 %. As of 2022, rural residents account for 40.4 % of the region's total population. A significant disparity in population distribution across districts was observed, with the highest concentration in the Zhytomyr district and the lowest in the Berdychiv district. Key factors contributing to this decline include depopulation, low birth rates, migration, high mortality rates, and deteriorating living conditions. The study highlights a substantial reduction in rural birth rates, which remain below the replacement level. Factors influencing this decline include socioeconomic conditions, youth migration, the professional engagement of women, and low income levels. Simultaneously, increasing mortality rates, coupled with migration losses, exacerbate the demographic crisis. Ensuring the sustainable development of rural areas requires the implementation of comprehensive state and regional policies aimed at creating favorable conditions for living, working, and population reproduction. These policies must also consider the impact of ecological and socio-political factors, particularly the consequences of the war. The findings of the study can be utilized to develop strategies for the sustainable development of rural areas, plan demographic policies, and implement programs for the socio-economic support of rural populations.

Livestock industry – dog breeding is of great importance in human activities. Infectious and invasive diseases are a deterrent to the breeding and improvement of dog breeds. Not only do they cause significant economic damage to dog breeding, but they can also be dangerous to humans. Such diseases include dirofilariasis – an invasive disease that is transmitted through intermediate hosts – blood-sucking mosquitoes. The urgency of dirofilariasis is also due to the difficulties of therapy, because effective drugs of imported production are not available due to high cost, and the arsenal of domestic counterparts is small. The aim of the study was to establish the effectiveness of various treatment regimens for dog dirofilariasis. For this purpose, dogs infected with Dirofilaria immitis used specific drugs immiticide (AS – melarsomin), stronghold (AS – selamectin), doxycyl (AS – doxycyclini hydrochloridum), advocate (AS – imidacloprid, moxidectin). The main indicators of the effect of drugs were extensefficiency and intensefficiency. Studies have shown that with the intensity of microdirofilariasic invasion below 20 larvae in 1 cm3 of dog blood and in the absence of clinical manifestations of the disease extensefficiency and intensefficiency of concomitant use of immiticide and stronghold, doxycyl and stronghold, immiticide and advocate, doxycyl and advocate on the 15th day of the experiment was 100.0 %, 100.0 %, 100.0 %, 83.33 and 86.81 % respectively. With the intensity of microdirofilariasic invasion from 20 to 40 larvae in 1 cm3 of dog blood, the extensefficiency and intensefficiency of the proposed treatment regimens were respectively 100.0 %, 83.33 and 88.46 %, 66.66 and 82.54 %, 66.66 and 80.20 %. On the 180th day of treatment and during the year in all experimental groups of dogs, regardless of the intensity of the invasion of microdirofilariae in the blood of animals were not detected. Immunochromatographic rapid test, starting from 30 days of the experiment, was negative for adult females of D. immitis. The results of the research allow us to recommend the proposed treatment regimens in the effective control of dog dirofilariasis caused by D. immitis.

The purpose of our research was to study the environmental aspects of the quality and safety of meat and meat products in the conditions of Ltd “Ryton” Vinnytsya and the measures applied in this subsidiary for the observance of proper hygienic and production practices (GHP/GMP) in their production as a guarantor of environmental security. The results of the veterinary and sanitary estimation of meat and meat products are reported according to the data of the reporting documentation of Ltd Ryton Vinnytsia (2015–2017), expert opinions of the Vinnytsia Regional State Veterinary Laboratory and Khmelnytsky Interdistrict State Laboratory of Veterinary Medicine (2018) on indicators security. The main cause of detoxification of byproducts was invasive and non-contagious diseases, in particular: liver – cirrhosis, fasciolysis and abscesses; kidneys – jade heart – traumatic pericarditis; udder – mastitis, lungs – pneumonia, pleurisy, aspiration with food and blood. According to safety indicators, there is a lack of pesticides (the mass fraction of HCCh gamma-isomer, DDT and its metabolites, DDVF, chlorophos, metaphys, carbophos, basidins), toxic elements (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, copper, zinc), mycotoxins, antibiotics; Radiological and microbiological parameters in meat and meat samples were also within regulatory requirements and safe for consumption. The introduction of proper hygienic and production practices allowed Vinnitsa LLC to complete the certification process under the international program FSSC 22000 “Food Safety Management” and obtain the Certificates The HACCP Management System of CCM MS Standart HACCP and ISO 22000: 2007 Food Safety Management Systems, Requirements for any Organisation in the Food Chain. The performed researches prove the theoretical and practical justification of the necessity of monitoring research on the quality and safety of livestock products, the observance of proper hygienic and production practices (GHP/GMP) taking into account the international program FSSC 22000 “Food Safety Management”, – the need to strengthen preventive measures by doctors of veterinary medicine invasive and non-contagious diseases of cattle.

Introduction. Sprouted grain can cause food poisoning, since inappropriate conditions can promote the growth of pathogenic microorganisms on the grain surface. As a result, products of long-term storage use thermally-treated sprouted grain, the parameters of which depend on the initial bacteria content. There are different ways to reduce bacterial contamination of sprouted grain, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Natural substances with antimicrobial properties, such as medicinal herbs, can serve as decontaminators. However, no scientific research has been performed so far to determine the exact temperature of grain sprouting to minimize its microbiological contamination. The research objective was to investigate the effect of antimicrobial agents and sprouting conditions on the microflora of wheat and buckwheat grain.&#x0D; Study objects and methods. The study featured wheat grain and green buckwheat grain. A set of experiments was performed to define the effect of antimicrobial agents and sprouting conditions on the quantity of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms (QMAFAnM), molds, and yeasts. During sprouting at 10–30°C for 90 h, the grain was irrigated with distilled water, potassium permanganate solution (KMnO4), calendula infusion, and celandine i nfusion. QMAFAnM and the count of molds and yeasts were determined by standard methods; the qualitative analysis of the microflora was based on their morphological and cultural characteristics.&#x0D; Results and discussion. Microflora development during sprouting of wheat and buckwheat grains was controlled by selecting appropriate conditions and grain treatment methods. The herbal infusions for sprouting reduced the total microbial insemination of grain during sprouting by 52–68%; the calendula infusion reduced the contamination with molds by 47–51%, yeasts – by 100%.&#x0D; Conclusion. The research revealed the total microbial count and the count of mold and yeast colonies in dry sprouted grain. The optimal temperature of sprouting wheat and buckwheat was 20 ± 2°C in the infusion of medicinal herbs: it minimized the microflora of sprouted grain and reduced the sprouting time to 46 h. Calendula infusion could be recommended for commercial use in order reduce the microbiological contamination of sprouted grain. The initial microbial population of the product was found to affect the mode of heat treatment in long-term storage products.

The presence of trace and toxic elements in milk and dairy products is an important food safety issue, as contamination can occur along the dairy supply chain and may be influenced by animal species, production system, and processing conditions. This study aimed to investigate and compare the multi-elemental composition of milk and selected dairy products obtained from organic, conventional, and commercial production systems in north-western Romania. A total of 307 samples, including raw milk from different animal species (cow, goat, buffalo, donkey) as well as yogurt, cheese, and mozzarella, were collected from farms and retail outlets. Samples were subjected to standardized microwave-assisted acid digestion and analyzed for toxic and essential elements (Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Al, Sn, Cu, and Zn) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), with quality assurance ensured through certified reference materials and proficiency testing. The results indicated low concentrations of toxic metals across all dairy matrices, with Pb ranging from 0.0047 to 0.0117 mg/kg, Cd from 0.0008 to 0.0011 mg/kg, and As from 0.0007 to 0.0664 mg/kg, depending on animal species and production system. Mercury was consistently below the limit of detection in all datasets (LCD = 100%). Essential and transition elements were systematically quantified, occurring within expected ranges (Al: 0.021-0.264 mg/kg; Cu: 0.078-0.270 mg/kg; Zn: 3.245-7.963 mg/kg; Sn ≈ 0.0030-0.0035 mg/kg). All toxic element concentrations were below the maximum limits established by European Union legislation. Variations in elemental profiles were observed between animal species and production systems, with organic cow milk showing the most homogeneous composition. All toxic element concentrations were below the maximum limits established by European Union legislation. Overall, the findings confirm the safety of the analyzed dairy products and emphasize the relevance of multi-elemental monitoring as a practical tool for dairy supply chain surveillance and risk assessment.

Introduction Streptococcus pneumoniae is a causative agent of pneumonia and acute otitis media (AOM), as well as invasive diseases such as meningitis and bacteremia. PCV15 (V114) is a new 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) approved for use in individuals ≥6 weeks of age for the prevention of pneumonia, AOM, and invasive pneumococcal disease. Areas Covered This review summarizes the V114 Phase 3 development program leading to approval in infants and children, including pivotal studies, interchangeability and catch-up vaccination studies, and studies in at-risk populations. An integrated safety summary is presented in addition to immunogenicity and concomitant use of V114 with other routine pediatric vaccines. Expert Opinion Across the development program, V114 demonstrated a safety profile that is comparable to PCV13 in infants and children. Immunogenicity of V114 is comparable to PCV13 for all shared serotypes except serotype 3, where V114 demonstrated superior immunogenicity. Higher immune responses were demonstrated for V114 serotypes 22F and 33F. Results of the ongoing study to evaluate V114 efficacy against vaccine-type pneumococcal AOM and anticipated real-world evidence studies will support assessment of vaccine effectiveness and impact, with an additional question of whether higher serotype 3 immunogenicity translates to better protection against serotype 3 pneumococcal disease.