[Bacterial zoonoses of public health importance in Germany-incidence, distribution, and modes of transmission]. / Bakterielle Zoonosen mit Bedeutung für den öffentlichen Gesundheitsschutz in Deutschland ­ Vorkommen, Verbreitung und Übertragungswege.

Bacterial zoonotic pathogens are often the cause of diseases, sometimes with severe outcomes. They are mutually transferable between animals (both wild and domestic) and humans. The transmission paths are very variable and include oral intake via food, respiratory infection via droplets and aerosols, or infections via vectors such as tick bites or rodent contact. Furthermore, the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens is of paramount public health concern.The likelihood of further spread is influenced by various factors. These include the increase in international trade, the endangerment of animal habitats, and the increasingly closer contact between humans and wild animals. Additionally, changes in livestock and climate change may also contribute. Therefore, research into zoonoses serves to protect human and animal health and is of particular social, political, and economic importance.The aim of this review article is to present the range of infectious diseases caused by bacterial zoonotic pathogens in order to provide a better understanding of the important work in public health services, animal health services, and food safety control. The different transmission routes, epidemic potentials, and epidemiological measures of the exemplary selected diseases show the challenges for the public health system to monitor and control the spread of these bacterial pathogens in order to protect the population from disease.

Third generation cephalosporin resistance in clinical non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica in Germany and emergence of blaCTX-M-harbouring pESI plasmids.

Non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica is an important gastrointestinal pathogen causing a considerable burden of disease. Resistance to third generation cephalosporins poses a serious threat for treatment of severe infections. In this study occurrence, phylogenetic relationship, and mechanisms of third generation cephalosporin resistance were investigated for clinical non-typhoidal S. enterica isolates in Germany. From 2017 to 2019, we detected 168 unique clinical S. enterica isolates with phenotypic resistance to third generation cephalosporins in a nation-wide surveillance. Compared to previous years, we observed a significant (P=0.0002) and consistent increase in resistant isolates from 0.41 % in 2005 to 1.71 % in 2019. In total, 34 different serovars were identified, most often S. Infantis (n=41; 24.4 %), S. Typhimurium (n=27; 16.1 %), S. Kentucky (n=21; 12.5 %), and S. Derby (n=17; 10.1 %). Whole genome analyses revealed extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) genes as main cause for third generation cephalosporin resistance, and most prevalent were blaCTX-M-1 (n=55), blaCTX-M-14 (n=25), and blaCTX-M-65 (n=23). There was no strict correlation between serovar, phylogenetic lineage, and ESBL type but some serovar/ESBL gene combinations were detected frequently, such as blaCTX-M-1 and blaCTX-M-65 in S. Infantis or blaCTX-M-14b in S. Kentucky. The ESBL genes were mainly located on plasmids, including IncI, IncA/C variants, emerging pESI variants, and a novel blaCTX-M-1harbouring plasmid. We conclude that third generation cephalosporin resistance is on the rise among clinical S. enterica isolates in Germany, and occurrence in various S. enterica serovars is most probably due to multiple acquisition events of plasmids.

Four European Salmonella Typhimurium datasets collected to develop WGS-based source attribution methods.

Zoonotic Salmonella causes millions of human salmonellosis infections worldwide each year. Information about the source of the bacteria guides risk managers on control and preventive strategies. Source attribution is the effort to quantify the number of sporadic human cases of a specific illness to specific sources and animal reservoirs. Source attribution methods for Salmonella have so far been based on traditional wet-lab typing methods. With the change to whole genome sequencing there is a need to develop new methods for source attribution based on sequencing data. Four European datasets collected in Denmark (DK), Germany (DE), the United Kingdom (UK) and France (FR) are presented in this descriptor. The datasets contain sequenced samples of Salmonella Typhimurium and its monophasic variants isolated from human, food, animal and the environment. The objective of the datasets was either to attribute the human salmonellosis cases to animal reservoirs or to investigate contamination of the environment by attributing the environmental isolates to different animal reservoirs.

Salmonellosis outbreak with novel Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serotype (11:z41:e,n,z15) attributable to sesame products in five European countries, 2016 to 2017.

In spring 2016, Greece reported an outbreak caused by a previously undescribed Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype (antigenic formula 11:z41:e,n,z15) via the Epidemic Intelligence Information System for Food- and Waterborne Diseases and Zoonoses (EPIS-FWD), with epidemiological evidence for sesame products as presumptive vehicle. Subsequently, Germany, Czech Republic, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom (UK) reported infections with this novel serotype via EPIS-FWD. Concerned countries in collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted a common outbreak case definition. An outbreak case was defined as a laboratory-confirmed notification of the novel Salmonella serotype. Between March 2016 and April 2017, 47 outbreak cases were notified (Greece: n = 22; Germany: n = 13; Czech Republic: n = 5; Luxembourg: n = 4; UK: n = 3). Whole genome sequencing revealed the very close genetic relatedness of isolates from all affected countries. Interviews focusing on sesame product consumption, suspicious food item testing and trace-back analysis following Salmonella spp. detection in food products identified a company in Greece where sesame seeds from different countries were processed. Through European collaboration, it was possible to identify and recall sesame spread as one contaminated food item serving as vehicle of infection and trace it back to its origin.