Vibrio (Listonella) anguillarum is a marine bacteria that is pathogenic to a number of aquatic organisms including several species which are important to the aquaculture industry. Organisms that are infected by V. anguillarum are diagnosed with vibriosis which can be lethal in a matter of days. Vibriosis can be particularly devastating to aquaculture businesses and measures of prevention or treatment are generally quite expensive. Efforts to understand and control V. anguillarum virulence have been of high‐priority among international aquatic research studies. The knowledge that has accumulated as a result of this collective research effort is reviewed in this article.

Salmonella is the most common cause of foodborne outbreaks throughout the world and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is one of the major causes of salmonellosis. We describe a rapid, sensitive and inexpensive method for the detection of S.Enteritidis from eggs and chicken meat using the real-time recombinase polymerase amplification (Real-time RPA) and compared this assay with the two-step real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Real-time PCR). The detection sensitivity of the RPA and PCR assays was identical in pure culture, however, the reaction time was as short as 10 min compared with 40 min for the PCR assay. In food application, the detection sensitivity of the RPA assay was 10 cfu/g from eggs and 100 cfu/g from chicken samples without additional DNA purification steps before the amplification -therefore, the sensitivity of the RPA assay was 100 times greater from eggs and 10 times greater from chicken than the PCR assay. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSNumerous epidemiological investigations attributed the source of sporadic Salmonella outbreaks as poultry and poultry-by-products including eggs. This is the first study in which a real-time RPA was developed to detect the Salmonella Enteritidis specifically. The whole procedure is fairly simple and does not require specific equipment, making it potentially applicable in the monitoring and detection of S. Enteritidis in eggs and poultry products.

Listeria monocytogenes biofilm formation renders these cells highly resistant to current sanitation methods, and probiotics may be a promising approach to the efficient inhibition of Listeria biofilms. In the present study, three Leuconostoc mesenteroides strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi were shown to be effective probiotics for inhibiting Listeria biofilm formation. Biofilms of two L. monocytogenes serotypes, 1/2a (ATCC15313) and 4b (ATCC19115), in dual‐species culture with each probiotic strain were decreased by more than 40‐fold as compared with single‐species Listeria biofilms; for instance, a reduction from 5.4 × 106 colony forming units (CFU)/cm2 L. monocytogenes ATCC19115 in single‐species biofilms to 1.1 × 105 CFU/cm2 in dual‐species biofilms. Most likely, one of the Leuconostoc strains, L. mesenteroides W51, led to the highest Listeria biofilm inhibition without affecting the growth of L. monocytogenes. The cell‐free supernatant from the L. mesenteroides W51 culture containing large protein molecules (>30 kDa) also inhibited Listeria biofilms. These data indicate that Leuconostoc probiotics can be used to repress L. monocytogenes biofilm contamination on surfaces at food processing facilities.

Consumption of raw oysters is known to cause serious health conditions due to bioaccumulation of contaminants. As filter feeders, oysters ingest bacteria along with phytoplankton from their surrounding habitats. Ensuring seafood safety for human consumption is always a concern. Since oysters are consumed raw, disease causing organisms, environmental contaminants, toxins, chemicals, and even physical hazards such as soils and metals retained in the oysters can enter through feeding. The objective of this study was to determine the quality of oysters collected from Delaware Inland Bays (DIB) and compare them with market oysters. Environmental parameters were monitored from local waters of DIB classified as closed versus open for shellfish harvesting. Total aerobic bacteria and vibrio were higher in market oysters during the warmer months, with open water having the least microbial loads. There were no significant differences in total vibrio counts between the study sites (p=0.396), but significant differences were recorded over time (p=0.004). Water temperature and turbidity were directly proportional to total vibrio in oysters, and salinity was inversely related. Research findings in this study may help bring awareness of changes in bacterial loads due to seasonal changes and additional handling and storage.

Electrospun poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/hydrated iron oxide (HIO)/sodium alginate (SA) composite nanofibers with high ultimate tensile strength of ∼31.6 ± 0.4 MPa and good morphologies, such as smooth surface appearance and average diameter of 159 ± 55 to 475 ± 55 nm, were produced in the range of 50% HIO, with significant bacteria decontamination property (92.5% removal of Vibrio vulnificus) from high specific surface area and absorption property, and 10% SA, with anti‐bacterial property, based on PEO polymer content. This approach, using HIO and SA, is an effective method to possess the multi‐functional properties such as anti‐bacterial/bacterial decontamination properties and good mechanical property for various applications in clinical, food, environmental, biomedical, protective clothing, and other areas. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers.