Dear Colleagues,

Achieving a safe food supply has become increasingly challenging in the modern era. Major challenges include both traditional and emerging pathogens in pre- and post-harvest operations. For instance, mitigation of bacterial pathogens Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter on-farm and in raw meat and poultry remains challenging. Additionally, viral pathogens continue to be a concern at food service and Listeria monocytogenes is a concern in ready-to-eat processed products. More recently antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens has emerged as major challenge. Novel strategies are required to understand the sources of antimicrobial resistance, transmission and mitigations approaches. Although traditional methods of pathogen control in the food matrix have improved food safety, numerous food safety incidences indicate a need to further develop and improve the food safety interventions at both pre- and postharvest levels.

We invite original research papers and reviews that address improved pathogen control on the farm, in raw and ready-to-eat animal products. Additional topics include pathogen-microbiome interactions in farmed animals, antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens and the transmission of pathogens from farm to final products.

Dr. Amit Vikram
Guest Editor

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• foodborne pathogens
• meat safety
• poultry
• microbiome
• food-safety interventions
• on-farm food safety
• pathogen transmission
• antimicrobial resistance

1. Review

Clostridium perfringens as a foodborne pathogen in broilers production. Pathophysiology and potential strategies for controlling necrotic enteritis

Zuamí Villagrán-de la Mora ¹, María Esther Macías-Rodríguez ², Jenny Arratia-Quijada ³, Yesica Sughey Gonzalez-Torres¹, Karla Nuño ^3,*and Angélica Villarruel-López ^2,*

¹   Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Centro Universitario de Los Altos, Universidad de Guadalajara, Av. Rafael Casillas Aceves 1200, Tepatitlán de Morelos 47620, Jalisco, Mexico; [email protected] (Z.V.-M.); [email protected] (Y.S.G.-T.)

²   Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías, Universidad de Guadalajara, Blvd. Gral. Marcelino García Barragán 1421, Olímpica 44430, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; [email protected] (M.E.M.-R); (A.V.-L.)

3. Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Tonalá, Universidad de Guadalajara, Nuevo Perif. Ote. 555, Ejido San José, Tateposco 45425 Tonalá, Jalisco, Mexico; [email protected] (J.A.-Q); (K.N.)

*   Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected]

Abstract:  Clostridium perfringens (Cp.), is a cause of human foodborne illness. Meat and poultry products are identified as the main source of infection for humans. It can be found in poultry litter, feces, soil, dust and in healthy bird intestinal contents. Cp. strains are known to secrete >20 identified toxins or enzymes that could potentially be the principal virulence factors (capable of degrading mucin, affecting enterocyte, and small intestine epithelium), involved in necrotic enteritis pathophysiology. Also, it leads immunological responses, microbiota modification and anatomical changes. The colonization of this microorganism can be determined by different environmental and dietary factors. It has been observed that the incidence of Cp-associated necrotic enteritis in broilers has increased in countries that have stopped using antibiotic growth promoters. Since the banning of such antibiotic growth promoters, several strategies for Cp control have been proposed, including: dietary modifications, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, phytogenics, organic acids and vaccines.  However, there are aspects of the pathology that still need to be clarified, and thus establish better action for the control and prevention of the disease. This paper reviews the current knowledge about Cp. as foodborne pathogen, the pathophysiology of necrotic enteritis and recent findings on potential strategies for its control.

Keywords: C. perfringens, necrotic enteritis, pathophysiology, control strategies