"Εnterobacteriaceae as a cause of foodborne infections"

Abstract

Foodborne infections are a serious public health problem worldwide, causing more than 1,3 million deaths annually. These infections are caused, among others, by Εnterobacteriaceae, which put a significant burden in terms of morbidity and mortality worldwide, despite the presence of antibiotics.

Of course, as it was expected, there are many new efforts for dealing with these bacteria and many new methods are used for this purpose. In this context, the main purpose of this essay was to study Εnterobacteriaceae as a cause of foodborne infections. According to the international literature, there have been many foodborne outbreaks, a significant percentage of which are due to Εnterobacteriaceae, and mainly to Salmonella. Furthermore, the levels of antimicrobial resistance of Εnterobacteriaceae causing foodborne diseases have increased, and one of the most promising practices for their treatment is vaccination.

However, despite the development of many different vaccines, which are at an early stage and seem to be effective and safe, they have not been licensed yet, in order to be used in the general population. Except for vaccines, the recent research has also proposed other possible treatment methods, such as nanoparticles, phages and probiotics, which could contribute, after the appropriate processing and with the right combinations, to the prevention and therapy of Enterobacteriaceae – related foodborne diseases.

KIROMITI Spiridoula