Campylobacter and Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

Campylobacter and Guillain-Barré Syndrome, this seems strange and fictitious but its true and causing havoc. The truth is many people cannot link eating food or drinking milk with possibility of paralysis. Campylobacter jejuni is in a genus of bacteria that is among the most common causes of bacterial infections in humans worldwide and commonly found in animal feces.It is the major cause of gastroenteritis in man and has been linked to Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare condition in which a person immune system attacks the nerves, leading to muscle weakness and even paralysis.This cause of this condition is unknown, but it’s typically triggered by an infectious illness, such as the stomach flu or a lung infection. The signs of C.jejuni infection include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and malaise and diarrhea can vary in severity from loose to bloody stools. Campylobacter jejuni is commonly associated with poultry as it naturally colonizes the digestive tract of many bird species hence contamination of carcass during processing is a major route of infection in man. C. jejuni has also been identified in cattle gastrointestinal tract,the major form of distribution is drinking contaminated water or unpasteurized milk. Contaminated food is a major source of infections, where poorly prepared meat and poultry are the primary source of the bacteria. Surveys show that 20 to 100% of retail chickens are contaminated, this is not a surprise as many healthy chickens carry these bacteria in their intestinal tracts. Raw milk is also a source of infections, the bacteria are often carried by healthy cattle and by flies on farms. Unchlorinated water may also be another source of infections but properly cooking chicken, pasteurizing milk, and chlorinating drinking water kill the bacteria. This is one of the reason to stop drinking raw milk , stop eating poorly cooked chicken or meat and using contaminated water. This is a story of how a healthy nurse became a quadriplegic because of c. jejuni read

Studies reaffirm international campylobacter concerns

Studies reaffirm international campylobacter concerns: Fears over campylobacter levels in chicken in New Zealand have been reignited, thanks to recent research.

Broiler diseases pose no further threat to food safety

Broiler diseases pose no further threat to food safety: Degenerative breast diseases in broiler chickens have been proven to present no risk to food safety, nor are they associated with infectious or pathogenic agents.

Bangladeshis must boost protein intake to fight stunted growth, says UN expert

Bangladeshis must boost protein intake to fight stunted growth, says UN expert: As Bangladesh grapples with the problem of stunted growth in children, a United Nations expert has called for a boost in animal protein consumption within the south Asian country to tackle the crisis.

What bumps on the road should the meat supply chain watch out for in 2017?

What bumps on the road should the meat supply chain watch out for in 2017?: Power shifts, margin squeezes, the potential of alternative proteins in food and feed, value added meat products, uncertainty around currency movements and trade talks will likely be the dominant themes of the animal protein supply chain in 2017, finds a Rabobank report.

Brazil’s billion-dollar meat industry faces price and health pressures

Brazil’s billion-dollar meat industry faces price and health pressures: Brazil’s giant meat industry could become the world’s top protein exporter next decade, but analysts warn it needs to understand consumer demands are changing.

Egg refrigeration to halt salmonella growth.

Eggs are most nutritious and economical foods, but special care is advised when handling and preparing fresh eggs and egg products to avoid food borne illness, commonly called food poisoning Salmonella prevalence in eggs is a major concern to the egg industry and various strategies are employed to keep eggs safe and healthy as possible. Eggs may appear normal but contain a bacteria referred to as Salmonella that can make people sick, especially if eggs are eaten raw or lightly cooked. Many predisposing and persistence factors have been evaluated include poor housing conditions with chicken houses very close each other e.g less than 15 metres, young hens housed in proximity to old hens (older than 70 weeks of age), and the presence of cattle in the vicinity. A recent study shows that refrigerating eggs reduces salmonella growth irrespective of egg sweating. A study by Janet Gradl (graduate student) and Pat Curtis, Auburn University; Deana Jones, USDA Agricultural Research Service and Ken Anderson, North Carolina State University, USA, indicated that Salmonella enteritidis (SE) prevalence in eggs is a major concern to the egg industry. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of egg sweating on SE penetration into shell eggs over a six-week period stored at 4 °C. A 2x2 factorial of SE inoculation and egg sweating was utilized. Inoculated eggs were exposed to 108 SE. Sweated eggs were sweated for approximately 80 minutes in a 32° C incubator. Shell rinse, shell emulsion, and egg contents were enumerated and assessed for prevalence of SE throughout 6 weeks of 4 °C storage. In week 1, the shell rinse SE inoculated/non-sweated treatment had significantly higher Salmonella counts than the other three treatments, where no SE was detected. After week 1, no SE counts were obtained from the egg shell rinse, shell emulsion rinse, or egg contents. A significant week by treatment interaction was found. During weeks 1, 2, and 3 the shell rinse non-sweated and SE inoculated (SN) treatment had significantly higher SE prevalence than the sweated and inoculated treatment (SS). During weeks 4, 5, and 6, there was no difference in SE prevalence between the SS and SN treatment. Egg sweating did not increase SE penetration into the shell emulsion across treatment or week (P<0.05).( thepoultrysite.com) The decreasing trend of SE prevalence obtained over the six-week period indicate that refrigeration is a very effective method to halt Salmonella growth. These results indicate that the current practice of egg sweating is not harmful to egg safety.