Daniel L. Weller
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View article: Longitudinal Study of Environmental Factors Influencing Microbial Contamination in Alabama Ponds: Implications for Qualitative Risk Assessment
Longitudinal Study of Environmental Factors Influencing Microbial Contamination in Alabama Ponds: Implications for Qualitative Risk Assessment Open
Agricultural water can be a source of microbial contamination for preharvest produce that has been linked to outbreaks and recalls. Over a two-year period, seven agricultural ponds were evaluated bimonthly. A total of 347 samples were test…
View article: Temporal, Seasonal, and Patient Demographic Trends Among Culture-Confirmed Human Salmonellosis Cases Identify Regional Differences in Salmonella Serotypes Reported in Virginia, USA From 2012 through 2022
Temporal, Seasonal, and Patient Demographic Trends Among Culture-Confirmed Human Salmonellosis Cases Identify Regional Differences in Salmonella Serotypes Reported in Virginia, USA From 2012 through 2022 Open
The U.S. federal government established a national goal of reducing the salmonellosis incidence to ≤11.5 cases/100,000 persons by 2030. To assess progress toward this goal in Virginia, we used data from culture-confirmed salmonellosis case…
View article: Sanitation Interventions for Reducing Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella on Canvas and Cordura® Harvest Bags
Sanitation Interventions for Reducing Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella on Canvas and Cordura® Harvest Bags Open
Food contact surfaces, including harvest bags, are potential vectors for cross-contamination in produce operations, yet recommendations for their sanitation are limited. This study evaluated the efficacy of wet- and dry-based sanitizers in…
View article: Impact of Material Type and Relative Humidity on the Survival of Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica on Harvest Bags
Impact of Material Type and Relative Humidity on the Survival of Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica on Harvest Bags Open
Harvest bags, if not properly cleaned and sanitized, can serve as sources of microbial contamination, making it vital to understand pathogen survival on these surfaces to inform sanitation best practices. The study objective was to assess …
View article: The probability of detecting host-specific microbial source tracking markers in surface waters was strongly associated with method and season
The probability of detecting host-specific microbial source tracking markers in surface waters was strongly associated with method and season Open
Fecal contamination of surface waters presents significant human health and environmental risks. While many methods for understanding fecal contamination cannot differentiate between human and animal sources, microbial source tracking (MST…
View article: Survival of Twelve Pathogenic and Generic Escherichia coli Strains in Agricultural Soils as Influenced by Strain, Soil Type, Irrigation Regimen, and Soil Amendment
Survival of Twelve Pathogenic and Generic Escherichia coli Strains in Agricultural Soils as Influenced by Strain, Soil Type, Irrigation Regimen, and Soil Amendment Open
Biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO) play an important role in agriculture but can introduce pathogens into soils. Pathogen survival in soil is widely studied, but data are needed on the impacts of strain variability and fie…
View article: Reported Incidence of Infections Caused by Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food: Impact of Increased Use of Culture-Independent Diagnostic Tests — Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 1996–2023
Reported Incidence of Infections Caused by Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food: Impact of Increased Use of Culture-Independent Diagnostic Tests — Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 1996–2023 Open
Reducing foodborne disease incidence is a public health priority. This report summarizes preliminary 2023 Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) data and highlights efforts to increase the representativeness of FoodNet. D…
View article: A one health approach for monitoring antimicrobial resistance: developing a national freshwater pilot effort
A one health approach for monitoring antimicrobial resistance: developing a national freshwater pilot effort Open
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a world-wide public health threat that is projected to lead to 10 million annual deaths globally by 2050. The AMR public health issue has led to the development of action plans to combat AMR, including imp…
View article: Syndromic Gastrointestinal Panel Diagnostic Tests Have Changed our Understanding of the Epidemiology of <i>Yersiniosis</i>—Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 2010-2021
Syndromic Gastrointestinal Panel Diagnostic Tests Have Changed our Understanding of the Epidemiology of <i>Yersiniosis</i>—Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 2010-2021 Open
Background In the US, yersinosis was understood to predominantly occur in winter and among Black or African American infants and Asian children. Increased use of culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) has led to marked increases in y…
View article: <i>Notes from the Field:</i> Severe <i>Vibrio vulnificus</i> Infections During Heat Waves — Three Eastern U.S. States, July–August 2023
<i>Notes from the Field:</i> Severe <i>Vibrio vulnificus</i> Infections During Heat Waves — Three Eastern U.S. States, July–August 2023 Open
Vibrio vulnificus, a waterborne and foodborne pathogen, lives in estuarine environments and thrives in warmer waters.V. vulnificus can infect open wounds through contact with salt water, brackish water, or raw seafood; infections can also …
View article: Methodological differences between studies confound one-size-fits-all approaches to managing surface waterways for food and water safety
Methodological differences between studies confound one-size-fits-all approaches to managing surface waterways for food and water safety Open
Even though differences in methodology (e.g., sample volume and detection method) have been shown to affect observed microbial water quality, multiple sampling and laboratory protocols continue to be used for water quality monitoring. Rese…
View article: Factors associated with foodborne pathogens and indicator organisms in agricultural soils
Factors associated with foodborne pathogens and indicator organisms in agricultural soils Open
Soil can be a route for contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables. While growers routinely manage soil nutrient levels, little research exists on the synergistic or antagonistic effects of soil nutrients on foodborne pathogens. Data on …
View article: Scale of analysis drives the observed ratio of spatial to non-spatial variance in microbial water quality: insights from two decades of citizen science data
Scale of analysis drives the observed ratio of spatial to non-spatial variance in microbial water quality: insights from two decades of citizen science data Open
Aims While fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) testing is used to monitor surface water for potential health hazards, observed variation in FIB levels may depend on the scale of analysis (SOA). Two decades of citizen science data, coupled with …
View article: Comparative genomics unveils extensive genomic variation between populations of <i>Listeria</i> species in natural and food-associated environments
Comparative genomics unveils extensive genomic variation between populations of <i>Listeria</i> species in natural and food-associated environments Open
Comprehending bacterial genomic variation linked to distinct environments can yield novel insights into mechanisms underlying differential adaptation and transmission of microbes across environments. Gaining such insights is particularly c…
View article: Preliminary Incidence and Trends of Infections Caused by Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food — Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2022
Preliminary Incidence and Trends of Infections Caused by Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food — Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2022 Open
Each year, infections from major foodborne pathogens are responsible for an estimated 9.4 million illnesses, 56,000 hospitalizations, and 1,350 deaths in the United States (1). To evaluate progress toward prevention of enteric infections i…
View article: Evidence for the efficacy of pre-harvest agricultural practices in mitigating food-safety risks to fresh produce in North America
Evidence for the efficacy of pre-harvest agricultural practices in mitigating food-safety risks to fresh produce in North America Open
Consumption of contaminated produce remains a leading cause of foodborne illness. Increasingly, growers are altering agricultural practices and farm environments to manage food-safety hazards, but these changes often result in substantial …
View article: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mpox Cases and Vaccination Among Adult Males — United States, May–December 2022
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mpox Cases and Vaccination Among Adult Males — United States, May–December 2022 Open
As of December 31, 2022, a total of 29,939 monkeypox (mpox) cases* had been reported in the United States, 93.3% of which occurred in adult males. During May 10-December 31, 2022, 723,112 persons in the United States received the first dos…
View article: Conditional Forest Models Built Using Metagenomic Data Accurately Predicted Salmonella Contamination in Northeastern Streams
Conditional Forest Models Built Using Metagenomic Data Accurately Predicted Salmonella Contamination in Northeastern Streams Open
Understanding the associations between surface water microbiome composition and the presence of foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella , can facilitate the identification of novel indicators of Salmonella contamination. This study assesse…
View article: Maternal fish consumption and child neurodevelopment in Nutrition 1 Cohort: Seychelles Child Development Study
Maternal fish consumption and child neurodevelopment in Nutrition 1 Cohort: Seychelles Child Development Study Open
Maternal fish consumption exposes the fetus to beneficial nutrients and potentially adverse neurotoxicants. The current study investigated associations between maternal fish consumption and child neurodevelopmental outcomes. Maternal fish …
View article: Salmonella Prevalence Is Strongly Associated with Spatial Factors while Listeria monocytogenes Prevalence Is Strongly Associated with Temporal Factors on Virginia Produce Farms
Salmonella Prevalence Is Strongly Associated with Spatial Factors while Listeria monocytogenes Prevalence Is Strongly Associated with Temporal Factors on Virginia Produce Farms Open
This study sought to examine different growing regions across the state of Virginia and to determine how factors associated with pathogen prevalence may differ between regions. Spatial and temporal data were modeled to identify factors ass…
View article: Pre-harvest food safety and conservation challenges facing US produce growers: results from a national survey
Pre-harvest food safety and conservation challenges facing US produce growers: results from a national survey Open
Fruit and vegetable growers in the US face tradeoffs and synergies between on-farm conservation and pre-harvest food safety as a result of economic considerations, regulatory concerns, and external pressure from other stakeholders. However…
View article: Structural Equation Models Suggest That On-Farm Noncrop Vegetation Removal Is Not Associated with Improved Food Safety Outcomes but Is Linked to Impaired Water Quality
Structural Equation Models Suggest That On-Farm Noncrop Vegetation Removal Is Not Associated with Improved Food Safety Outcomes but Is Linked to Impaired Water Quality Open
Currently, on-farm food safety decisions are typically made independently of conservation considerations, often with detrimental impacts on agroecosystems. Comanaging agricultural environments to simultaneously meet conservation and food s…
View article: A Validated Preharvest Sampling Simulation Shows that Sampling Plans with a Larger Number of Randomly Located Samples Perform Better than Typical Sampling Plans in Detecting Representative Point-Source and Widespread Hazards in Leafy Green Fields
A Validated Preharvest Sampling Simulation Shows that Sampling Plans with a Larger Number of Randomly Located Samples Perform Better than Typical Sampling Plans in Detecting Representative Point-Source and Widespread Hazards in Leafy Green Fields Open
This study addresses a need for improved preharvest sampling plans for pathogen detection in leafy green fields by developing and validating a preharvest sampling simulation model, avoiding the expensive task of physical sampling in many f…
View article: Epidemiologic Features of the Monkeypox Outbreak and the Public Health Response — United States, May 17–October 6, 2022
Epidemiologic Features of the Monkeypox Outbreak and the Public Health Response — United States, May 17–October 6, 2022 Open
On May 17, 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Health announced the first suspected case of monkeypox associated with the global outbreak in a U.S. resident. On May 23, 2022, CDC launched an emergency response (1,2). CDC's emergency resp…
View article: Preliminary Incidence and Trends of Infections Caused by Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food — Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2016–2021
Preliminary Incidence and Trends of Infections Caused by Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food — Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2016–2021 Open
To evaluate progress toward prevention of enteric infections in the United States, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) conducts active population-based surveillance for laboratory-diagnosed infections caused by Cam…
View article: Structural equation models suggest that on-farm non-crop vegetation removal is not associated with improved food safety outcomes but is linked to impaired water quality
Structural equation models suggest that on-farm non-crop vegetation removal is not associated with improved food safety outcomes but is linked to impaired water quality Open
While growers have reported pressures to minimize wildlife intrusion into produce fields through non-crop vegetation (NCV) removal, NCV provides key ecosystem services. To model food safety and environmental tradeoffs associated with NCV r…
View article: An enhanced method for calculating trends in infections caused by pathogens transmitted commonly through food
An enhanced method for calculating trends in infections caused by pathogens transmitted commonly through food Open
This brief methods paper is being published concomitantly with “Preliminary Incidence and Trends of Infections Caused by Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food— Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2016–2021”…