Foodborne Pathogens, Zoonotic Agents and Dairy Product Safety

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2025) | Viewed by 3488

Editor


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Guest Editor
Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia
Interests: microbiology; molecular biology; q-fever; foodborne pathogens; genetically modified organisms

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dairy products are an important component of food products that can serve as a source of foodborne pathogens. Many of these microbial agents are zoonotic, meaning that the same microorganisms can cause disease in animals and humans, and the transmission route includes both as well. In many parts of the world, there is an increasing tendency of consumers to choose to consume unpasteurized milk and milk products on the basis that such products contain more vitamins and other substances beneficial to health. However, such products have a higher risk of microbiological contamination. The main foodborne pathogens in Europe are bacteria such as Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica and Staphyloccus aureus as toxin producers. The role of other bacteria as foodborne pathogens still needs to be more defined, for example, the possibility of Coxiella burnetii to be transmitted via food. The most important foodborne viral agents are norovirus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, rotavirus and flaviviruses, including tick-borne encephalitis virus that can be transmitted via the consumption of raw sheep and goat milk. Among foodborne parasites, Echinococcus multilocularis can be mentioned as one of the most important and common zoonotic pathogens.

In general, more attention should be paid to surveillance, control and prevention, especially taking into account the free market, the import and export of products, people’s travel habits, national cooking traditions and other aspects.

Dr. Lelde Grantina-Ievina
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • foodborne pathogens
  • zoonotic diseases
  • dairy products
  • unpasteurized milk
  • Coxiella burnetii
  • Campylobacter
  • Salmonella
  • Listeria monocytogenes
  • Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli
  • Shigella

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 7024 KB  
Article
Surveillance of Q Fever in Dairy Cattle in Latvia: Molecular and Serological Findings and Association with Farm and Woodland Density
by Guntis Boikmanis, Didzis Elferts, Žanete Šteingolde, Artjoms Mališevs, Juris Ķibilds, Lelde Grantiņa-Ieviņa, Aivars Bērziņš and Olga Valciņa
Microorganisms 2026, 14(4), 881; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14040881 - 14 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 694
Abstract
Q fever, caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii, is a widespread zoonotic disease and a notifiable condition in 25 European Union countries. Dairy cattle are important reservoirs, and infection can pose a risk to both animal and human health. The [...] Read more.
Q fever, caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii, is a widespread zoonotic disease and a notifiable condition in 25 European Union countries. Dairy cattle are important reservoirs, and infection can pose a risk to both animal and human health. The aim of this study was to assess the temporal and spatial prevalence of C. burnetii in dairy farms in Latvia. In the period of January 2016–December 2018, seroprevalence was estimated. Between January 2022 and September 2023, bulk tank milk and pooled milk samples were collected from 5.81% of Latvian dairy farms and analyzed for the presence of C. burnetii DNA using PCR. Overall, 15.46% of milk samples and 10.05% of farms tested positive. These two periods were retrospectively compared with previously published Q-fever prevalence data within Latvian territory. To identify potential risk factors, statistical analyses were performed, including correlation assessments with farm-level and environmental variables. These new surveillance data and historical temporal spatial changes in disease distribution confirm the continued circulation of C. burnetii in Latvian dairy herds and highlight environmental and herd-level associated factors that may influence its spread. Results indicated that C. burnetii prevalence was positively associated with a high cattle density and overflowing plains, while the presence of surrounding woodlands was negatively correlated, suggesting a potential natural barrier effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Foodborne Pathogens, Zoonotic Agents and Dairy Product Safety)
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12 pages, 1124 KB  
Article
A Novel Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Primer Set for Detecting the STY2879 Gene of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi in Raw Milk
by Hyuck-Jin Seo and Timothy E. Riedel
Microorganisms 2026, 14(2), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14020297 - 27 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1633
Abstract
Milk-borne outbreaks remain a significant issue in low-income countries due to unhygienic practices. Currently, there are no known easily accessible and low-cost diagnostic tests that can detect Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi, the causative agent of typhoid fever, in raw milk samples [...] Read more.
Milk-borne outbreaks remain a significant issue in low-income countries due to unhygienic practices. Currently, there are no known easily accessible and low-cost diagnostic tests that can detect Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi, the causative agent of typhoid fever, in raw milk samples at high specificity, sensitivity, and speed without preprocessing. Early detection of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi in food matrices is critical for preventing infection prior to consumption and reducing disease burden. Using colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification, we screened 15 novel and two previously published primer sets. We identified one novel primer set capable of detecting the STY2879 gene in as few as 2000 genomes in 2% v/v raw milk reactions and 1000 genomes in 1% v/v raw milk reactions of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi after 30 minutes of incubation in a 65° C water bath. The colorimetric readout offers promising potential applications for on-site detection in remote and low-resource settings where infection with Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi remains a public health concern. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Foodborne Pathogens, Zoonotic Agents and Dairy Product Safety)
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