Studying the ecological risk of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to wild animals from human disturbance (HD) is an important aspect of \"One Health\". The highest risk level of ARGs is reflected in pathogenic antibiotic-resistant bacteria (PARBs). Metagenomics was used to analyze the characteristics of PARBs in river sediments. Then, the total contribution of ARGs and virulence factors (VFs) were assessed to determine the health risk of PARBs to the rivers. Results showed that HD increased the diversity and total relative abundance of ARG groups, as well as increased the kinds of PARBs, their total relative abundance, and their gene numbers of ARGs and VFs. The total health risks of PARBs in wild habitat group (CK group), agriculture group (WA group), grazing group (WG group), and domestic sewage group (WS group) were 0.067 × 10-3, -1.55 × 10-3, 87.93 × 10-3, and 153.53 × 10-3, respectively. Grazing and domestic sewage increased the health risk of PARBs. However, agriculture did not increase the total health risk of the rivers, but agriculture also introduced new pathogenic mechanisms and increased the range of drug resistance. More serious was the increased transfer risk of ARGs in the PARBs from the rivers to wild animals under agriculture and grazing. If the ARGs in the PARBs are transferred from the rivers under HD to wild animals, then wild animals may face severe challenges of acquiring new pathogenic mechanisms and developing resistance to antibiotics. Further analysis showed that the total phosphorus (TP) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were related to the risk of ARGs. Therefore, controlling human emissions of TP and DON could reduce the health risk of rivers.

Fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM) in the Brahmaputra River water was characterized using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) model. EEM and PARAFAC model identified five fluorophores (Peak A, C, M, T, Tuv) and four fDOM components (two humic-, tryptophan-, and tyrosine-like) in the Brahmaputra River water. DOC varied between 0.8 and 3.9 mg/L and along with the intensities of the fDOM components showed higher concentration in the pre-monsoon and monsoon than post-monsoon. Higher biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) confirmed the presence of a high amount of organic pollutants in the Brahmaputra River of Bangladesh. Cations and anions concentrations were comparatively lower in the monsoon and pre-monsoon compared to post-monsoon. Mg2+, Na+, and HCO3- ions were predominant; catchments were carbonate mineral-dominated; and the abundance of Na+ and SO42- ions described the presence of uncommon dissolution in the Brahmaputra River. Optical indices described that fDOM components were less aromatic, had low molecular size and weight, terrestrial and biological derived, and were largely affected by microbial decomposition. The Brahmaputra River water was in the higher microbial risk at the pre-monsoon and monsoon than the post-monsoon of the year. Entropy and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods based water quality index (WQI) was developed using PARAFAC components matrix of DOM. Newly derived WQI showed high seasonal variability of water quality in the Brahmaputra River due to the changes in local hydro-climate.

The epidemic of COVID-19 has aroused people\'s particular attention to biosafety. A growing number of disinfection products have been consumed during this period. However, the flaw of disinfection has not received enough attention, especially in water treatment processes. While cutting down the quantity of microorganisms, disinfection processes exert a considerable selection effect on bacteria and thus reshape the microbial community structure to a great extent, causing the problem of disinfection-residual-bacteria (DRB). These systematic and profound changes could lead to the shift in regrowth potential, bio fouling potential, as well as antibiotic resistance level and might cause a series of potential risks. In this review, we collected and summarized the data from the literature in recent 10 years about the microbial community structure shifting of natural water or wastewater in full-scale treatment plants caused by disinfection. Based on these data, typical DRB with the most reporting frequency after disinfection by chlorine-containing disinfectants, ozone disinfection, and ultraviolet disinfection were identified and summarized, which were the bacteria with a relative abundance of over 5% in the residual bacteria community and the bacteria with an increasing rate of relative abundance over 100% after disinfection. Furthermore, the phylogenic relationship and potential risks of these typical DRB were also analyzed. Twelve out of fifteen typical DRB genera contain pathogenic strains, and many were reported of great secretion ability. Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter possess multiple disinfection resistance and could be considered as model bacteria in future studies of disinfection. We also discussed the growth, secretion, and antibiotic resistance characteristics of DRB, as well as possible control strategies. The DRB phenomenon is not limited to water treatment but also exists in the air and solid disinfection processes, which need more attention and more profound research, especially in the period of COVID-19.

Climate change is expected to affect many different sectors across the food supply chain. The current review paper presents an overview of the effects of climate change on the microbial safety of the dairy supply chain and suggest potential mitigation strategies to limit the impact. Raw milk, the common raw material of dairy products, is vulnerable to climate change, influenced by changes in average temperature and amount of precipitation. This would induce changes in the microbial profile and heat stress in lactating cows, increasing susceptibility to microbial infection and higher levels of microbial contamination. Moreover, climate change affects the entire dairy supply chain and necessitates adaptation of all the current food safety management programs. In particular, the review of current prerequisite programs might be needed as well as revisiting the current microbial specifications of the receiving dairy products and the introduction of new pretreatments with stringent processing regimes. The effects on microbial changes during distribution and consumer handling also would need to be quantified through the use of predictive models. The development of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) models, considering the whole farm-to-fork chain to evaluate risk mitigation strategies, will be a key step to prioritize actions towards a climate change-resilient dairy industry.

It remains unclear whether well-maintained subjects, with periodontitis in the past, effectively treated, and maintained for a long time, have the same subgingival microbiome as healthy subjects. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the subgingival microbiome in well-maintained patients with a history of periodontitis compared with healthy subjects.
We recruited in 17 well-maintained individuals (no evidence of clinical inflammation and progress of periodontitis) and 21 healthy individuals. Periodontal clinical parameters, consisting of missing teeth, plaque index (PLI), periodontal depth (PD), and bleeding index (BI), were recorded and analyzed. The pooled subgingival samples from mesiobuccal sites of two maxillary first molars were collected. The V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA gene from 38 subgingival samples was sequenced and analyzed. Alpha diversity, microbial composition, types of bacteria, functional pathways between well-maintained group and health group were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Spearman correlation was used in analyzing the symbiotic relationship among taxa. A classification model was constructed to distinguish two ecological types.
The maintained individuals demonstrated a different microbiome from healthy subjects, with higher diversity, more disordered structure, more pathogenic microbiota, and more host-destructive metabolism pathways. The genera Actinomyces, Streptococcus, Leptotrichia, Capnocytophaga, Lautropia, and Fusobacterium were predominant components with relative abundance >5% in the subgingival microbiome of well-maintained patients. The classification model by microbiota got a remarkable accuracy of 83.33%.
Individuals with well-maintained periodontitis showed a more dysbiotic microbial community than healthy individuals. Therefore, close monitoring and scheduled maintenance treatment are necessary for them to maintain a healthy periodontal condition.

The growing interest in laver as a food product and as a source of substances beneficial to health has led to global consumer demand for laver produced in a limited area of northeastern Asia. Here we review research into the benefits of laver consumption and discuss future perspectives on the improvement of laver product quality. Variation in nutritional/functional values among product types (raw and processed (dried, roasted, or seasoned) laver) makes product-specific nutritional analysis a prerequisite for accurate prediction of health benefits. The effects of drying, roasting, and seasoning on the contents of both beneficial and harmful substances highlight the importance of managing laver processing conditions. Most research into health benefits has focused on substances present at high concentrations in laver (porphyran, Vitamin B12, taurine), with assessment of the expected effects of laver consumption. Mitigation of chemical/microbiological risks and the adoption of novel technologies to exploit under-reported biochemical characteristics of lavers are suggested as key strategies for the further improvement of laver product quality. Comprehensive analysis of the literature regarding laver as a food product and as a source of biomedical compounds highlights the possibilities and challenges for application of laver products.

Unlike most unit processes in drinking water treatment, the performance of deep-bed filtration processes vary systematically on short time-scales; the particle removal capacity changes with time since the previous backwash, even when the influent water quality is stable. For microorganisms, the removal efficiency may vary by orders of magnitude. In this note, the potential impact of such dynamics on microbial risk estimates is studied, using representative experimental filtration data for viruses and bacteria in conjunction with single-hit dose-response models for microbial infection. Assuming that filtration is the only source of variation in pathogen concentrations on the time-scale of a single filter cycle, it is concluded that such variations are unlikely to substantially affect risk estimates, except possibly in an outbreak situation with extremely high pathogen concentrations; it is generally sufficient to know the mean pathogen concentrations. Future studies should include concurrent variation in the performance of other unit processes and raw water pathogen concentrations. Experimental work should focus on capturing the variation in filtration performance in order to correctly estimate mean removal rates.

The 2013-2016 Ebola epidemic revived concerns about infection risks to wastewater workers. Prior research has shown that wastewater can contain a variety of known and emerging pathogens and that wastewater workers are at increased risk of infectious illnesses. However, guidelines on using personal protective equipment (PPE) to decrease these risks are lacking. We engaged 34 wastewater utility personnel and public health experts to conduct a job safety analysis identifying tasks in which workers could be exposed to pathogens and to develop a PPE selection matrix for preventing those exposures. We identified 43 relevant job tasks. Recommended PPE ranges from durable gloves (all tasks) to safety glasses (24 tasks), Tyvek suits or coveralls (4 tasks), and respiratory protection (N95 mask or face mask, depending on the activity, 10 tasks). The PPE selection matrix can serve as a guide for protecting the 120,000 wastewater workers in the United States from known and emerging pathogens. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Wastewater workers are at increased risk of infectious illnesses. Policies to protect wastewater workers from these illnesses are lacking. We developed guidelines for use of personal protective equipment by wastewater workers to prevent exposure to infectious agents.

Concerns associated with blended enteral feeds include the risk of blocked tubes and microbial contamination, although the available evidence is limited. The present laboratory-based investigation aimed to examine these risks in a blended feed providing a nutritionally adequate intake for a hypothetical patient.
A one-blended feed recipe was made using three different methods (professional, jug and stick blenders) and three storage procedures. Feed samples were syringed via 10-, 12- and 14-French (Fr) enteral feeding tubes and both blockages and the time taken were recorded. Feed samples were diluted, plated on agars, incubated and bacterial colony-forming units (CFU) counted. After storage at -80 °C, identification was undertaken using 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction sequencing.
Two blockages occurred during 27 administrations of feed made using a professional blender, although they were resolved with a water flush. No blockages occurred with the 14-Fr tube and administration was quicker with wider tubes (P < 0.00001). There was no significant difference between the total bacterial CFU of feeds prepared using different methods (P = 0.771) or stored differently. The genus of bacteria identified included Enterococcus, Bacillus, lactose-fermenting Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus. Pathogens, such as Clostridium spp., Salmonella spp. and Vibrio spp., were not identified by phenotypic tests used. Sequencing identified Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., Streptococcus lutetiensis and Staphylococcus epidermidis.
The present study found no risk of tube blockages when one blended feed recipe made using three methods was delivered via a 14-Fr tube. There is concern about bacterial contamination, although this was not influenced by the methods of preparation or storage used in the present study.

This study evaluated the microbiological and physicochemical characteristics in different commercial brands of a Brazilian minimally ripened (coalho) cheese during 60 days of storage under refrigeration. Combinations of maximum and minimum values of water activity and pH determined in cheese samples at refrigeration temperature (7°C) were used in a bacterial growth prediction analysis. Maximum growth rate (Grmax) was estimated for different pathogenic and/or spoilage bacteria using the ComBase Predictor. Results of microbiological characterization analyses showed persistent high counts for all monitored microbial groups ( Lactobacillus spp., Lactococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Enterobacteriaceae, proteolytic and lipolytic microorganisms, and fungi) in cheese samples; no dominant microbial group was observed over time. Values of pH (6.03 ± 0.16 to 7.28 ± 0.55), acidity (0.15% ± 0.09% to 0.66% ± 0.26%), sodium chloride (1.05% ± 0.19% to 1.97% ± 0.75%), and water activity (0.948 ± 0.020 to 0.974 ± 0.012) did not vary in cheese samples during storage. Estimated Grmax values for the tested bacteria were in the range of 0.004 to 0.044 log CFU/h. Highest Grmax values (0.005 to 0.044 log CFU/h) were predicted for the psychrotrophic Aeromonas hydrophila, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas spp., and Yersinia enterocolitica. Grmax values predicted for Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus were in the range of 0.004 to 0.016 log CFU/h. These results indicate unsatisfactory microbiological characteristics of commercially available coalho cheese. Physicochemical characteristics of commercial coalho cheese stored under refrigeration allow bacterial growth to occur, indicating higher risk for fast growth of contaminant bacteria in this product.