Chapter 1 Introduction
Shah M. Faruque
Foodborne and waterborne bacterial pathogens are a major cause of mortality in developing countries and cause significant morbidity in developed nations. Some countries carry a disproportionately heavy burden of these infectious diseases due to inadequate resources to provide sanitation and hygienic facilities, and safe water. The most important bacterial pathogens transmitted through contaminated water and food include species or strains of Salmonellae, Vibrio (e.g., V. cholerae, V. parahemolyticus, V. vulnificus); Shigella (S. dysnteriae, S. flexneri, S. sonnie, S. boydii); Escherichia coli, Yersinia, Staphylococcus and Campylobacter. The pathogenic mechanisms of these bacteria involve synergistic actions of multiple virulence factors produced by the pathogen after infecting the host. Besides carrying sets of virulence genes which are often horizontally transferred between strains, many of these bacteria may also carry precise genetic programs that allow them to adapt and survive in water leading to enhanced transmission or prolonged persistence in the aquatic environment. Understanding the epidemiology, pathogenesis and evolution of these pathogens can contribute significantly to control foodborne and waterborne diseases.
Chapter 2 Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and Genetics of Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli Infections
T. Ramamurthy and M. John Albert
There are five categories of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) namely enterotoxigenic, enteropathogenic, enterohaemorrhagic, enteroinvasive and enteroaggregative. They have evolved from nonpathogenic commensal strains by acquisition of specific virulence genes through mobile genetic elements. Their pathogenesis differs and they produce distinct clinical syndromes and pathological lesions and have different epidemiological characteristics. The virulence genes are carried on plasmids, bacteriophages, transposons or pathogenicity islands. DEC produce an array of virulence factors which include colonization factors, enterotoxins, cytotoxins, haemolysins, invasins etc. The diseases they produce range from acute watery diarrhea to dysentery to bloody diarrhoea with haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Even though the major burden of the disease is in the developing world, no part of the world is free from them, and EHEC infections are predominant in developed countries. A variety of molecular tools have been developed to study the diversity and transmission of these pathogens. Even though attempts are being made, no ideal vaccine exists against any category of DEC, therefore maintaining appropriate food and water hygiene are the only ways to keep the infections under control. We must also be on guard against the emergence of new pathogenic strains. The recent emergence of a hybrid enteroaggregative-haemorrhagic E. coli with the rare serotype of O104:H4 in Germany that caused high mortality rates is a case in point.
Chapter 3 Population Genetics and Molecular Epidemiology of Shigella species
Kaisar Ali Talukder and Ishrat Jahan Azmi
Shigellosis, also known as acute bacillary dysentery, produces inflammatory reactions and ulceration on the intestinal epithelium followed by bloody or mucoid diarrhoea. Shigellosis is caused by any one of the four species or groups of Shigella, namely, S. dysenteriae, S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. sonnei. At least 54 serotypes or subtypes of Shigella are currently recognized, of which S. dysenteriae has 16 serotypes, S. flexneri has 17 serotypes and subserotypes, S. boydii has 20 and S. sonnei has a single serotype. Shigellosis can occur in sporadic, epidemic and pandemic forms. To develop an effective vaccine it is important to monitor the prevalent serotypes and their changes around the world because immunity to Shigella is serotype specific. The genetic variability between serotypes and emergence of atypical strains accentuates the problems to the development of an effective vaccine. In view of the emergence of new strains with altered characteristics than the ones established globally for many years, there is also a need for revising the nomenclature for the three groups of Shigella: flexneri, boydii and dysenteriae. This chapter discusses the recent serotyping scheme of Shigella with special focus on the emergence of new variants and the necessity to make an updated scheme. Furthermore, the epidemiology, phenotypic and molecular characteristics, population genetics and clinical impact of these variants have been described.
Chapter 4 Molecular Pathogenesis, Epidemiology and Drug Resistance of Shigella species
G. P. Pazhani and T. Ramamurthy
Shigella species are often associated with diarrhoea/dysentery among children in developing countries of Asia-African regions and also cause foodborne infections in developed countries. During infection, this pathogen secretes a number of effectors via the type III secretion system. Recently, Shigella-infected cases have increased considerably in Asia, but the death rate decreased substantially due to nutritional and clinical interventions. Antimicrobials reduce the episodes of shigellosis. However, multiple antibiotic resistance in shigellae have increased over the years due to improper use of antimicrobials in the treatment of diarrhoea. Several mechanisms such as plasmids and other mobile genetic elements are involved in the transmission of resistance in shigellae. Due to poor efficacy of many of the existing Shigella vaccines, none has been licensed for use in endemic areas. This chapter reviews our current understanding of mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of Shigella, antimicrobial resistance and also its epidemiological importance and clinical management of shigellosis.
Chapter 5 Salmonellae: Taxonomy, Genomics and Antimicrobial Resistance
Mahbubur Rahman
The genus Salmonella has three species namely Salmonella enterica, Salmonella bongori and Salmonella subterranean. The type species S. enterica is further classified into six subspecies: enterica (subsp. I), arizonae (subsp. IIIa), diarizonae (subsp. IIIb), houtenae (subsp. IV), indica (subsp. VI), and salamae (subsp. II). Salmonella strains belong to over 50 serogroups based on the O antigen, and to over 2500 serovars (each having a unique combination of somatic O, flagellar H1 and H2 antigens). Most of these serovars (1,531) belong to Salmonella subsp., enterica, and cause more than 99% of the diseases in humans including gastroenteritis and enteric fever (typhoid). Genome sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of 28 S. enterica serovars identified similarity of core regions of the genomes, together with evidence of recombination and rearrangement, genomic degradation, pseudogenes and clonal diversity both within and among the serovars. Genomic comparisons of host-restricted (S. Typhi, S. Paratyphi and S. Gallinarum) and host-adapted (S. Typhimurium and S. Enteridis) S. enterica serovars indicate that genomic degradation is a common evolutionary mechanism for host adaptation and increased pathogenicity of Salmonella. Drug resistances in Salmonella is mainly due to Salmonella genomic island 1 (an integrative mobile element) carrying various antibiotic resistance gene clusters, and to conjugative R plasmids which confer resistance to many antibiotics including extended-spectrum cephalosporins. Continuous genetic re-assortment in Salmonella leading to increased virulence and the emergence of resistance to multiple drugs are of significant public health concern.
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