Preliminary research found organic vegetables contaminated with microorganisms that cause a variety of diseases

A new study presented at this year’s European Conference on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) (April 23-26) in Lisbon, Portugal, found amoeba, the cause of diseases inhabiting organic leafy vegetables. Pseudomonas, Salmonella, When Helicobacter It is a potential risk to public health. This study was done by Dr. Yolanda Moreno of the University of Valencia Polytechnica, Spain, and his colleagues.

Food poisoning by consuming contaminated food Fresh food Common and can have serious implications Human healthEspecially when eating raw. Demand for organically grown fruits and vegetables is increasing as people strive for a healthy diet and are concerned about potential contamination with pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides. However, during growth, harvesting, transportation, and further processing and handling, fresh produce can be contaminated with pathogens from human or animal sources through contact with soil. Irrigation waterDuring cleaning of air, rain, insects, and industrial products.

Vegetables can be contaminated with certain protists (unicellular organisms) such as the free-living amoeba (FLA), which feeds on bacteria and acts as a host. Pathogen (So-called “Trojan horse”) It resists FLA digestion and can pose a threat to public health.

“The food and food-related environment creates an ideal meeting place for free-living amoebas and pathogens,” explains Dr. Moreno. “However, little is known about the development and diversity of free-living amoebas in organic vegetables and their role in their transmission. Human pathogens.. “

To conduct a preliminary study of FLA microbial flora isolated from organic vegetables, researchers collected 17 samples of lettuce and spinach from a local supermarket in Valencia between November 2020 and May 2021. ..

To investigate the extent of contamination, researchers used metagenomic techniques to identify the DNA of all bacteria present in FLA. The results were evaluated to determine what types of microorganisms (microbiota) were contained in each sample.

The main bacterial types identified are flavobacterium (included in 10% of vegetable samples) and Pseudomonas (10%), many of which do not cause disease in humans. However, one-third (34%) of the sample contained 52 potentially disease-causing bacteria, including: Legionella, SalmonellaWhen Arcobactor.. The resulting infections can cause illnesses such as pneumonia and gastrointestinal disorders.

In addition, FLA species Vermamoeba vermiformis Those that commonly cause severe infections in humans were found in one-fifth (19%) of vegetable samples.When Acanthamoeba CastellaniThose that can cause blindness and encephalitis were identified in almost two-thirds (63%) of the samples.

“The presence of bacteria public health Concerns contained in free-living amoeba suggest that it is a medium that can reach humans through contaminated organic vegetables and easily infect pathogens that can cause health problems. “Masu,” says Dr. Moreno. Fertilizer, sewage sludge, irrigation water, etc. Leafy vegetables are particularly vulnerable to fecal contamination due to their proximity to the ground and the potential for human consumption without cooking. Our results also emphasize the need to educate the general public about safe and proper handling of fresh organic vegetables before eating fresh or slightly cooked ones. “

Despite important findings, the authors found that the study contained only a small sample of lush organic vegetables from a city in Spain, regarding the microbiological quality and safety of organic vegetables. To further understand, he states that larger studies from different countries are needed.

Provided by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases