Infective Dose (infective + dose)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


INFECTIVE DOSE OF FOODBORNE PATHOGENS IN VOLUNTEERS: A REVIEW

JOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 1 2001
MAHENDRA H. KOTHARY
ABSTRACT Risk assessment and impact of foodborne pathogens on the health of different populations was one of the goals identified in the Presidential Food Safety Initiative three-year plan. This entailed estimation of dose-response relationship for foodborne pathogens to humans, either by feeding studies or from outbreaks. For certain pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7, there are no feeding studies due to ethical reasons, and the results from outbreaks are normally used to estimate the infectious dose. The focus of this review is to compile dose-response information in volunteers for several foodborne pathogens including Salmonella, Shigella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, Vibrio spp., Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium parvum and Entamoeba coli. The infectious dose for different serovars of Salmonella and strains of E. coli was quite large (> 105 organisms), while the infectious dose for some Shigella spp. seemed to be as low as less than 10 organisms. Toxigenic V. cholerae (O1 and O139 serotypes) were infective at a dose of 104 organisms; a non-O1 strain was infective at a much higher dose (106 organisms). C. jejuni, C. parvum and Entamoeba coli appeared to have infectious doses as low as 500 organisms, 10 oocysts, and 1 cyst, respectively. The infectious dose and the dose response are dependent upon the strains used, and the age and physical condition of the individuals, and can therefore show wide variations. In addition, since many of the volunteer studies are carried out by feeding the organisms in a nonfood matrix after neutralizing the stomach acidity, results obtained may not reflect the true dose response. [source]


Modelling the vector pathway and infection of humans in an environmental outbreak of Escherichia coli O157

FEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 1 2001
Norval J.C. Strachan
Abstract Quantifying the transfer of Escherichia coli O157 from the environment to humans is essential for understanding outbreaks, establishing the infectious dose of the organism and proposing safeguards. We modelled the pathogen loading shed onto a field by sheep immediately prior to a scout camp where 18 scouts and two adults were infected with E. coli O157. We estimated the dose ingested (4,24 organisms) which is in agreement with the low infective dose reported previously for this organism in food outbreaks. These data closely fit a surrogate Shigella dose,response model which can be used as a basis for risk assessment. [source]


Isolation and biological characterization of HIV-1 BG intersubtype recombinants and other genetic forms circulating in Galicia, Spain

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 12 2006
Lucía Pérez-Alvarez
Abstract The biological characteristics of HIV-1 primary isolates of different recombinant forms (RFs) and non-B subtypes from Galicia, Spain, were investigated and the relationships between biological phenotype and evolution of infection were determined. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained during the follow-up of 32 patients infected with HIV-1 non-subtype B genetic forms, characterized in partial sequences of pol (protease-reverse transcriptase) and env V3 region: 12 (37.5%) circulating RFs (CRFs), 9 (28.1%) unique RFs (URFs), and 11(34.4%) non-B subtypes. Primary isolates were obtained by coculture with donor PBMCs. Syncytium-inducing (SI) phenotype was examined in MT2 cell line and coreceptor use in GHOST and U87.CD4 cells. Fifty percent of tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) and viral phenotype based on V3 net charge and Geno2phenocoreceptor bioinformatic method were determined. Fifty-four HIV-1 primary isolates were obtained. CRF14_BG and BG URFs represented the largest group, being all SI/X4, independently of the CD4+ cell count, viral load, or the duration of infection. By contrast, 10 of 11 CRF02_AG viruses were NSI/R5. The prediction of co-receptor use was concordant with biological characterization in all NSI/R5 and in 23 of 26 SI/X4 isolates. The presence of SI/X4 or SI/X4,R5 isolates at early stages of the infection in addition to a decrease in CD4+ counts below 500 cells/µl between 2 and 6 years since diagnosis was observed in all patients infected with CRF14_BG and BG URFs. These data contrast with the usual progression in B subtype infections, in which SI/X4 viruses rarely predominate in the early years of HIV-1 infection. J. Med. Virol. 78:1520,1528, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Clostridium difficile in food,innocent bystander or serious threat?

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 1 2010
J. S. Weese
Abstract Clostridium difficile is a critically important cause of disease in humans, particularly in hospitalized individuals. Three major factors have raised concern about the potential for this pathogen to be a cause of foodborne disease: the increasing recognition of community-associated C. difficile infection, recent studies identifying C. difficile in food animals and food, and similarities in C. difficile isolates from animals, food and humans. It is clear that C. difficile can be commonly found in food animals and food in many regions, and that strains important in human infections, such as ribotype 027/NAP1/toxinotype III and ribotype 078/toxinotype V, are often present. However, it is currently unclear whether ingestion of contaminated food can result in colonization or infection. Many questions remain unanswered regarding the role of C. difficile in community-associated diarrhoea: its source when it is a food contaminant, the infective dose, and the association between ingestion of contaminated food and disease. The significant role of this pathogen in human disease and its potential emergence as an important community-associated pathogen indicate that careful evaluation of different sources of exposure, including food, is required, but determination of the potential role of food in C. difficile infection may be difficult. [source]