Microbiology Review Paper

Ensuring the microbiological safety of food products is one of the state healthcare system's
priority tasks, the solution of which is directly aimed at protecting public health. Abebe et al.
(2020) claim that "Salmonella species, L. monocytogenes, and E. coli are the major zoonotic
bacterial pathogens which are the causative agents of food-borne illness and death in the world"
(p. 1). All over the world, this problem is gaining special relevance due to an increase in the
number of foodborne diseases. Ehache et al. (2017) state that bacterial contamination of low-
moisture foods, such as peanut butter, presents a vexing challenge to food safety. The need for a
comprehensive study of this problem is obvious and includes a multifaceted assessment of
factors impacting human health, such as age, present diseases, comorbidity, pregnancy, specific
medical conditions, and many others. Escherichia Coli Escherichia coli is a common inhabitant
of the intestines of many mammals, in particular primates, including humans, thus, it is often
called Coli bacillus. In the human body, Escherichia coli plays a beneficial role by inhibiting the
growth of harmful bacteria and synthesizing certain vitamins. However, there are varieties of
Escherichia coli that can cause acute intestinal diseases in humans. Currently, more than 150
types of pathogenic E. coli bacilli are isolated as a health hazard. Salmonella Enteritidis and
Salmonella Typhi Salmonella enterica belongs to the class of gamma-proteobacteria within the
Salmonella genus. This Enterobacteriaceae family is considered one of the most hazardous to
human health because every type of bacterium of this species is pathogenic. Abebe et al. (2020)
note 2 that "non-typhoidal Salmonella are most important zoonotic bacterial food-borne
pathogens of humans, and they account for around 93.8 million food-borne illnesses and 155,000
deaths per year worldwide" (p. 5). Many serotypes of Salmonella enterica are causative agents of
human diseases such as typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, and salmonellosis. In epidemiological
terms, however, only a few subspecies of Salmonella enterica are significant for humans, with
the most hazardous being Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhi. Listeria Monocytogenes
Another hazardous bacteria species that can infiltrate food products is Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria is small gram-positive bacilli with a characteristically low motility. They are distributed
throughout the world in both the environment and the intestines of humans, mammals, birds,
arachnids and crustaceans. There are several species of Listeria, but only Listeria monocytogenes
is the main pathogen in humans. Once in the human body, Listeria parasitizes inside body cells,
where it can cause irreparable harm to the central nervous system or the brain specifically.
Methods: A Comparative Table of Pathogenic Bacteria Types of Bacterium Escherichia coli
Salmonella enteritidis Salmonella typhi Listeria monocytogenes Classification The genus of
Escherichia is part of the Enterobacteria family, the order of Enterobacteria, the class of Gamma-
protect eria, the type of Proteobacteria, the kingdom of Bacteria. The subspecies Salmonella
enteritidis and Salmonella typhi both belong to the species Salmonella enterica in the genus
Salmonella, the family of Enterobacteria, the order of Enterobacteria, the class of Gamma-
proteobacteria, the type of Proteobacteria, the kingdom of Bacteria. According to the modern
classification, Listeria belongs to the Firmicutes type, the Bacilli class, and the genus Listeria,
which includes several species. However, Listeria monocytogenes hold the greatest importance
in human pathology among 3 other Listeria subspecies. Size The cells of Escherichia coli
bacteria are rod-shaped, about 2 μm long and 0.25–1.0 μm in diameter. Its cell volume is about
0.6–0.7 μm 3. All Salmonella bacteria are quick-moving, gram-negative rods. They are from 1 to
7 μm in length, and 0,3-0,7 μm in width. Listeria monocytogenes are small gram-positive rods of
regular shape. They are 0.5-2x0.4-0.5 microns in size and are pleomorphic. Habitat Escherichia
coli is a common inhabitant of mammals' intestines, specifically, humans. Additionally, the
bacterium can be found in soil and water bodies. Salmonella enteritidis is a ubiquitous and
resistant bacterium that can survive for several weeks in dry environments, and for several
months in water. Enache et al. (2017) add that due to its enhanced thermal resistance in dry
environments, Salmonella can survive the drying process and may persist for prolonged periods
in low-moisture foods. Salmonella typhi is a short, motile, bacterial, facultative intracellular
parasite that grows well in the presence of oxygen, although it can also exist in its absence.
Abebe et al. (2020) add that the "primary habitat of Salmonella species is the intestinal tract of
the animals such as farm animals, humans, birds, reptiles, and insects" (p. 5). Listeria is
widespread in the surrounding nature – soil, water, and plants, as well as in sewage and
excrement of humans and animals. Listeria lives in a fairly wide temperature range and is
capable of active reproduction at low temperatures. Diseases Caused Intestinal diseases caused
by pathogenic E. coli are collectively called Escherichiosis. According to Koutsoumanis et al.
(2020), "the detection of any of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli serogroups in food has been
considered to Salmonellosis is an acute infectious disease, caused by the non-typhoid Salmonella
bacteria such as Salmonella enteritidis. According to Abebe et al. (2020), "the disease is self-
limiting and does not require specific treatments but can result in serious complications One of
the most dangerous diseases caused by Salmonella bacteria is typhoid fever, which occurs
through contamination of the organism with Salmonella typhi. Typhoid fever affects only
humans. The disease manifests as Listeriosis, which is caused specifically by Listeria
monocytogenes and is a highly contagious infectious disease. It damages the protective cells of
the immune system, leading to the development of numerous symptoms such as septic angina, as
well as the pathology of the 4 provides an early indication of the potential for serious illness, if
there are no further treatment of E. coli" (p. 20). The terms coli-infection, coli-enteritis,
travellers' diarrhoea, and colibacillosis can be also used. Escherichiosis refers to acute intestinal
diseases with a faecal-oral transmission mechanism. Each of the above classes of pathogenic E.
coli is characterized by certain differences in the course of the disease, which in its symptoms
may resemble cholera or dysentery. young children, old, and immunocompromised individuals"
(p. 6). More often the disease occurs in the form of acute gastritis, gastroenteritis or
gastroenterocolitis, and less often in the form of septicemia; however, a long-term illness is also
possible. through fever, symptoms of general intoxication, bacteremia, ulcerative lesions of the
small intestine's lymphatic apparatus, and hepatorenal syndrome. nervous system. Mostly,
listeriosis is found in wild and farm animals. Hazard Level to Human Health The infectious dose
is highly dependent on the type of pathogenic E. coli. Koutsoumanis et al. (2020) state that
"Most cases are self-limiting although severe life-threatening complications may occur,
especially in developing countries where the host may be malnourished, immune-compromi sed
and without The number of cases of salmonellosis, including in developed countries, has been
increasing in recent years. Nosocomial salmonellosis is one of the major problems of modern
healthcare. Patients with immunodeficiency or those with low acidity of gastric juice have a
higher risk of Salmonella-associa ted typhoid infection, and the disease is more likely to be
severe. Moreover, Salmonella typhi is highly resistant to various antibiotics. The greatest danger
listeriosis poses is the possibility of fetus pathology in pregnant women. Moreover, elderly
people also fall into the high-risk category, since they often have the most severe forms of the
disease such as septic and meningoencephalitis ones. In addition, people of all ages with
impaired immunity get 5 access to adequate treatment" (p. 60). Young children, the elderly and
people with immunodeficiency are most susceptible to the disease. infected with Listeria
monocytogenes easily. Abebe et al. (2020) state that "Listeria is one of the most virulent
pathogens, which is associated with the highest case fatality rate of 30%" (p. 9). Discussion This
exercise was quite helpful in terms of learning about the various hazards bacterial food
contamination poses. It is important to know the aspects and hazards that pathogenic bacteria
present to different parts of society, and recognize the potential risks of food contamination.
Another point of interest is the possibility to do thorough research on the topic to determine
current trends in microbiology and food hygiene. Overall, it was an interesting and insightful
task to complete. Conclusion The phenomenon of foodborne infections and toxic infections
should be considered from the general point of view of the epidemiological ecology of bacteria.
The researchers need to primarily study the aspects of bacterial population existence in the
environment, which determine the possibility of infectious disease occurrence in humans. At the
same time, food production processes must adapt in stride with these studies to ensure the safety
of human health regarding the possibilities of bacterial contamination. The best way to prevent
bacterial food diseases on the national level is to study closely the agents that cause them.
Moreover, it is of utmost importance to learn how exactly pathogenic bacteria affect the human
organism – not 6 only the healthy ones but the impaired ones as well. Overall, this kind of study
is highly recommended for any healthcare worker or student.