Photovoltaic installations on roofs or in fields is nothing unusual it is probably not widely known that solar installations can also float as more than 190 floating solar modules have been installed on the Mortkasee artificial lake in Lohsa the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) and Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) investigates the extent to which floating solar islands can be implemented and operated in harmony with aquatic ecology The project is being sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action The plant was officially inaugurated today in the presence of guests from the worlds of science including representatives of the Saxon Ministry of Energy Interested citizens also had the opportunity to learn about floating solar islands and the “PV2Float” research project.  mayor of the Lohsa municipality: “Originally created by flooding the Werminghoff opencast lignite mine the Mortkasee artificial lake has become one of the first research sites for floating solar islands in Germany This technology promises a higher power yield since the cold water can have a positive impact on the efficiency of the solar modules Another advantage is that previously unused mine lakes which are not intended to be used for recreation can be developed for green electricity generation That offers major potential for the energy transition in Germany and here in our region.” Three different floating solar islands have been installed on the Mortkasee With a rated capacity of about 30 kilowatts each but still provide important insights into the benefits of various technological solutions future floating solar installations can be implemented in harmony with the environment The research plant on the Mortkasee will operate until the end of 2027 Experienced partners from science and industry Fraunhofer ISE and BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg are the three expert partners driving this research project forward RWE has many years of experience in the construction and operation of utility-scale solar plants and already operates a floating photovoltaic plant on a former cooling water lake in the Netherlands Fraunhofer ISE is Europe’s largest solar research institute It develops solutions for floating photovoltaics and other integrated photovoltaic technologies in addition to carrying out research into public acceptance of these technologies BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg has extensive scientific expertise in the field of aquatic ecology Pictures of the PV2Float system for media use (credit: Ecotec Deutschland GmbH) are available at the RWE Media Centre Volume 6 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.806920 This study investigated the survival of Salmonella Senftenberg Enterococcus faecalis and Clostridium sporogenes in sandy and clay loam textured soils when applied in bovine slurry or unpasteurised digestate using laboratory based inoculation studies when applied to grass in slurry and digestate Bovine slurry and digestate were inoculated with the target bacteria to a final concentration of 106 log10 cfu/g or spores/g thoroughly mixed into soil samples and incubated at 4°C or 14°C Samples were removed periodically and the surviving cells enumerated using AOAC or equivalent methods The loss of viability/culturability phase followed first order kinetics and T90 values ranged from 11.9 to 166.7 d at 4°C and from 6.0 to 156 d at 14°C faecalis in sandy loam textured soil at 14°C (T90 values were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in slurry) the type of soil texture or application material (slurry or digestate) did not affect survival rates 12 grass covered micro-plots were prepared innocua was applied in digestate and bovine slurry and rainfall was simulated at a target rate of ~11 mm per plot per h−1 Rainfall simulation (30 min) took place after 24 innocua strain using Brilliance Listeria agar supplemented with streptomycin sulphate (1,000 μg/ml) at 37°C for 48 h Significantly (P < 0.05) lower counts were obtained in the run-off from digestate after 1 It was concluded that the type of organic fertiliser does not affect the bacterial survival rates in sandy and clay soils faecalis in sandy loam textured soil at 14°C bacteria may be retained better in the soil-digestate matrices during rainfall although additional research is required to further validate and provide the scientific basis for this observation has been used as the main organic fertiliser on farmland The primary objective of this study was to investigate bacterial pathogen survival in amended soil when either slurry or digestate was applied to the two most common soil types in Ireland using laboratory trials A second study was also undertaken using rainfall simulation in a field trial that investigated the run-off rate of Listeria innocua when applied in slurry and digestate A sandy loam (52% sand, 30% silt, 18% clay) and a clay loam (44% sand, 36% silt, 20% clay) soil (Brennan et al., 2012) were extracted from a permanent grassland site in Teagasc Johnstown Castle Pebbles and small stones were removed by hand prior to portioning into samples 20 as “sandy loam” and 20 as “clay loam” and 450 g of the appropriate soil sample was weighed into each These boxes were sealed to prevent moisture loss and wrapped in aluminium foil to exclude light Marked strains (streptomycin resistance 1,000 μg/ml) of Salmonella Senftenberg and Listeria Enterococcus faecalis (NCTC 12697) and Clostridium sporogenes (DSM 767) botulinum were obtained from the Teagasc culture collection held in the Teagasc Food Research Centre (Ashotwn To prepare inocula for all target bacteria a cryoprotective bead from frozen (−80°C) storage was streaked on Tryptone Soya Agar (TSA; Oxoid Ireland) and incubated at 37°C for 24 h A single colony from the resultant culture was aseptically mixed into 10 ml of Tryptone Soya Broth (TSB; Oxoid Ireland) and incubated overnight at 37°C The culture obtained was centrifuged at 8,014 × g (Centrifuge 5801 R washed and resuspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS; Oxoid before resuspension in PBS and serially diluted to obtain cell concentrations of ~107 cfu/ml Basingstoke UK) containing Anaerogen sachets (Oxoid Ireland) and incubated at 37°C for 12 days Spores were harvested by adding ~5 ml ice-cold sterile distilled water onto the surface of the CSA plates and agitating the surface of the agar with a sterile spreader to release spores from the agar The suspension was then transferred to the next agar plate and the process repeated The suspensions were then pooled in 50 ml tubes centrifuged at 7,500 x g at 4°C for 10 min and washed with iced water reducing the amount of liquid over the course of repeated cycles until a spore suspension of ~107 spores/ml (estimated by phase contrast microscopic examination) was obtained The spore suspension was kept on ice throughout the entire harvesting process This concentration was then confirmed by plating out on Columbia Blood Agar (CBA; Oxoid Ireland) with 5% defibrinated horse blood (Cruinn diagnostics Ireland) in anaerobic conditions as described above The spore preparations (1 ml aliquots) were stored at −80°C spore preparations were thawed at room temperature and heat treated at 80°C for 10 min to ensure the destruction of any vegetative cells Fresh bovine slurry was obtained from a beef farm in County Meath while digestate was obtained from a commercial AD plant in the east of Ireland that operates a mesophilic using mainly food waste and slurry as feedstock materials Twenty slurry samples (45 g) and twenty digestate samples (45 g) were prepared four digestate and four slurry samples were inoculated in 5 ml PBS to give a concentration of 106 log10 cfu/g or spores/g These samples were then thoroughly mixed manually using a sterile metal spoon into the previously prepared soil samples (450 g) to obtain four of each of the following combinations for each target bacterium: digestate plus sandy loam The boxes were sealed and 2 of each combination incubated at 4 or 14°C (mean winter and summer temperatures respectively in Ireland) and sampled at times (t) = 0 Immediately prior to sampling the contents were thoroughly mixed again and 10 g removed The pH and water activity (aw) of the soil samples was recorded at each sampling time-point The pH was tested using a Eutech pH 150 probe (Thermo Scientific The water activity was measured using an Aqualab Pre water activity metre (Labcell) The metre was calibrated prior to use using a saturated solution of sodium chloride (KCl aw = 0.984 ± 0.003 at 20°C) monocytogenes were detected by adding 10 g of the soil sample to 90 ml of half strength Fraser Broth (Oxoid Ireland) incubated overnight at 30°C after which 0.1 ml of the resultant culture was added to 10 ml of full-strength Fraser broth (Oxoid Ireland) and incubated at 37°C for 48 h Duplicate 100 μl aliquots were plated on Listeria selective Oxford Agar (Oxoid Ireland) with streptomycin sulphate (1,000 μg/ml) and characteristic colonies were considered to be L 10 g of soil sample was combined with 90 ml of BBL enterococcosel broth (Becton Dickinson Ireland) and incubated at 37°C for 24 h before plating on Slanetz and Bartley Agar (Oxoid incubated at 37°C for 24 h and 42°C for a further 24 h sporogenes were detected by adding exactly 10 g of soil sample to 90 ml of Reinforced Clostridial Medium (RCM; Oxoid Ireland) and incubating anaerobically as previously described at 37°C for 48 h The enrichment culture was then plated on RCA in duplicate and colonies confirmed using the qPCR method as described above An outdoor study site of approximately 0.13 acres (526 m2) was selected at the Teagasc campus in Ashtown, Dublin (latitude 53.381590, longitude −6.336162) in the east of Ireland. The area has a temperate maritime climate, with an average annual temperature of 10.4°C and mean annual precipitation of 807.6 mm (Met Éireann, 2019) The site was un-grazed and has been covered in a grass sward for many years with regular cutting but no slurry or other fertiliser treatment The topography was slightly undulating with an average slope of ~10° along the length and 4° across the width Listeria innocua was selected as the model organism as it is non-pathogenic absent from the soil samples tested at the site and capable of surviving in soil Exactly 12 micro-plots were prepared and randomly assigned to three groups (four plots each); (1) control (uninoculated); (2) L The layout of the micro-plots (left) and a micro-plot with the aluminium frame and collection channel installed (right) Three environmental L. innocua strains (isolated in fields grazed by cattle) were chosen from the Teagasc culture collection (designated M220, M344 and T1095) and streptomycin sulphate resistant variants of these strains (1,000 μg/ml) (Sigma Aldrich Ireland Ltd., Wicklow, Ireland) were prepared using the method of Blackburn and Davies (1994) Marked strains were stored on cryoprotective beads at −80°C a cryoprotective bead was streaked on TSA and incubated at 37°C for 24 h after which a single colony was removed using a sterile loop mixed into 10 ml of tryptone soya broth (TSB; Oxoid The cultures obtained were centrifuged and washed three times with PBS (Oxoid The 3 strains were then mixed to create a single L innocua cocktail and serially diluted to give a final concentration of ~5 log10 cfu/g when inoculated into the slurry or digestate which was performed as previously described Inoculated slurry (left) and digestate (right) were applied to the microplots in linear rows Rainfall was simulated using the Amsterdam drip type simulator (Bowyer-Bower and Burt, 1989) at a target rate of ~11 mm per plot per h−1, as used in other similar studies (Peyton et al., 2016) The rainfall simulator formed droplets of median diameter of 2.3 mm spaced 30 mm apart in a 1,000 × 500 × 8 mm perspex plate over a 0.5 m2 simulator area To maximise control and to prevent runoff losses due to natural rainfall events individual micro-plots were covered between treatments by large sheets of plastic The first rainfall simulation (30 min) took place 24 h after treatment application thus representing a worst-case scenario that is contrary to current regulations which stipulate that spreading of organic manure should not be carried out within 48 h of forecasted heavy rain [Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC)] The second was performed after 48 h (a scenario compliant with current regulations) the third after 14 d and the final rainfall simulation after 30 d the last 50 ml and the runoff in between were collected separately and tested for the L innocua strains using brilliance listeria agar (formerly Oxoid Chromogenic Listeria Agar (OCLA) Ireland) supplemented with streptomycin sulphate (1,000 μl/g; Sigma Aldrich Ireland Ltd. Soil samples were taken using a soil plugging tool on the day of the final rainfall simulation (30 d) and also after 58 The laboratory-based soil survival study was performed in duplicate and repeated on 3 separate occasions Bacterial counts were converted into log10 cfu/g and the T90-values (the time required to achieve a 90% (1 log) reduction in the population) were determined by linear regression using Graphpad Prism 7 software (San Diego considering each replicate Y-value as an individual point Differences between slopes were examined using one-way ANOVA and Tukeys multiple comparison tests (GraphPad Prism 7.02) Statistical significance was set at the 5% level (P < 0.05) innocua counts were converted to log10 cfu/ml and differences in the mean counts in each sample type (first 50 ml last 50 ml and overall) were analysed using one-way ANOVA (Graphpad Prism 7.02) In the laboratory survival studies the pH of the sandy soil amended with slurry ranged from 5.9 to 7.0. The corresponding figures for sandy soil plus digestate, clay soil plus slurry and clay soil plus digestate were 5.3 to 6.9, 5.2 to 6.7 and 4.9 to 6.3 regardless of bacterial inoculum or storage temperature (Table 1). The aw in all soil-amendment combinations ranged from 0.95 to 1.0, regardless of storage temperature (also Table 1) The pH and aw of the soil samples throughout the experiment The decimal reduction curves are shown in Figures 3–7 and the T90 values are provided in Table 2 Growth was not detected and the decline phase followed first order kinetics for all of the target bacteria regardless of soil type tailing was obtained at 4°C (slurry and digestate) with S Senftenberg stored at 4°C were 21.3 sporogenes was marginal (1 log10 cfu/g or less over 124 d) and this is reflected in the T90 values the T90 values were not significantly (P > 0.05) different regardless of the soil type or amendment (slurry or digestate) except for E both in sandy soil where the T90 values obtained in slurry-amended soil were significantly higher than the corresponding values in digestate-treated soil Senftenberg over time in sandy (A) and clay (B) soils including with slurry at 4°C (■) slurry at 14°C (•) and digestate at 14°C (o) coli O157:H7 over time in sandy (A) and clay (B) soils including with slurry at 4°C (■) monocytogenes over time in sandy (A) and clay (B) soils including with slurry at 4°C (■) faecalis over time in sandy (A) and clay (B) soils including with slurry at 4°C (■) sporogenes over time in sandy (A) and clay (B) soils including with slurry at 4°C (■) T90 values for the different bacteria applied in slurry and digestate to sandy loam and clay loam soils and stored at 4°C in the laboratory trials At 14°C the T90 values for S. Senftenberg, E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, E. faecalis and C. sporogenes ranged from 12.4 to 20.8 d, 17.6 to 36.6 d, 6.0 to 12.2 d, 18.1 to 36.6 d and 106.5 to 156.0 d, respectively (Table 3) For most pathogens soil type or application material had no effect with the exception of E faecalis in sandy soils where significantly (P < 0.05) higher T90 values were obtained in slurry compared to digestate T90 values for the different bacteria applied in slurry and digestate to sandy loam and clay loam soils and stored at 14°C in the laboratory trials digestate and the soil in the field plots all tested negative for L innocua (10 samples each) prior to commencement of the field trial innocua in the inoculated slurry and digestate was 5 log10 cfu/g (data not shown) In slurry and digestate this concentration decreased to 3.1 log10 cfu/g and 4.5 log10 cfu/g after 2 days innocua population remained at this level until at least day 14 Thereafter it was not possible to test the slurry or digestate for L innocua as these materials had become absorbed and mixed into the soil Soil samples were therefore obtained after day 30 and tested it was advised not to take soil samples before this stage as removal of soil plugs from the plot could influence the way in which the rainfall penetrated the soil and hence the concentrations of L innocua was not detected in the soil samples taken throughout this experiment at 30 Rainfall was simulated at a rate of ~11 mm per plot h−1 for 30 min, the runoff collected and the bacterial concentration in the first 50 ml, last 50 ml and overall runoff measured. On the first day the L. innocua counts from slurry amended soil were 2.4, 2.0 and 2.0 log10 cfu/ml, respectively and the corresponding counts when applied in digestate were 1.9, 1.9 and 1.6 log10 cfu/ml (Table 4) 2.5 and 2.2 log10 cfu/ml for slurry and 2.0 On day 14 a similar pattern was observed (2.0 1.7 and 1.3 log10 cfu/ml for digestate) and again on day 30 (2.4 2.4 and 1.7 log10 cfu/ml for slurry and 1.6 1.7 and below the level of detection for digestate) innocua counts were obtained when applied in digestate on day 1 (first 50 ml and entire sample) innocua in leachate during rainfall simulation from inoculated slurry and digestate These bacteria generally survived for up to 1 month when applied to both sandy and clay soils Our findings therefore support the hypothesis that Salmonella spp die-off within approximately 4 weeks when applied to land sporogenes inoculated into soil in field trials declined by <0.7 log after 16 months we hypothesise that rainwater falling on freshly applied digestate (as compared to slurry) will have lower penetration and reduced ability to remove bacteria in the resultant run-off over time the permeability of the digestate amended soil may be less than slurry-treated pastures reducing leeching of any surviving bacteria into ground water unpasteurised digestate) does not affect survival rates of the bacteria tested in soil a higher proportion of bacteria may be retained in the soil-digestate matrix during periods of rainfall thereby reducing the risk of ground and surface water contamination The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors DB was responsible for conceiving and the design of the study and obtained the funding LR acquired and analysed and interpreted the data All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version This study was funded by the Food Institute Research Measure administered by the Department of Agriculture LR was supported by the Teagasc Walsh Scholarship Programme (Number 2014239) The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The authors acknowledge the help provided by Dr Leonard Koolman while undertaking the field studies Seasonal prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef cattle feces PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Determination of biogas generation potential as a renewable energy source from supermarket wastes Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in private drinking water wells: influences of protozoan grazing and elevated copper concentrations The effect of hygienic treatment on the microbial flora of biowaste in biogas plants Evaluation of effect of soil organic matter on pores by 1H time-domain magnetic resonance relaxometry and adsorption-desorption of N2 A review on the role of organic inputs in maintaining the soil carbon pool of the terrestrial ecosystem Development of antibiotic-resistant strains for the enumeration of foodborne pathogenic bacteria in stored foods The survival characteristics of a non-toxigenic strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Incidence and survival of non-O157 verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli in soil Rainfall simulators for investigating soil response to rainfall CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Incidental phosphorus and nitrogen loss from grassland plots receiving chemically amended dairy cattle slurry Indigenous soil bacteria and low moisture may limit but allow faecal bacteria to multiply and become a minor population in tropical soils Heat resistance of Paenibacillus polymyxa in relation to pH and acidulants Castro-Ibáñez Microbial safety considerations of flooding in primary production of leafy greens: a case study An integrated assessment of nitrogen source transformation and fate within an intensive dairy system to inform management change Bacterial inactivation by solar ultraviolet radiation compared with sensitivity to 254 nm radiation Pore structure changes during decomposition of fresh residue: X-ray tomography analyses European Commission (2020). 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(2020). Major & Micro Nutrient Advice for Productive Agricultural Crops. Available at https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/publications/2020/Major–Micro-Nutrient-Advice-for-Productive-Agricultural-Crops-2020.pdf (accessed September 12 Google Scholar and fate of phosphorus in the sewage sludge of China Recent advances in the microbial safety of fresh fruits and vegetables Potential regrowth and recolonization of salmonellae and indicators in biosolids and biosolid-amended soil Fenton O and Bolton D (2022) The Survival of Salmonella Senftenberg Enterococcus faecalis and Clostridium sporogenes in Sandy and Clay Loam Textured Soils When Applied in Bovine Slurry or Unpasteurised Digestate and the Run-Off Rate for a Test Bacterium When Applied to Grass in Slurry and Digestate Received: 01 November 2021; Accepted: 26 January 2022; Published: 21 March 2022 Copyright © 2022 Russell, Whyte, Zintl, Gordon, Markey, de Waal, Nolan, O'Flaherty, Abram, Richards, Fenton and Bolton. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Declan Bolton, ZGVjbGFuLmJvbHRvbkB0ZWFnYXNjLmll †These authors have contributed equally to this work and share first authorship Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish Associate Professor at the Department of Urban Planning and Design conducted research at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg The trip included research on the topic «The experience of participation in urban planning and architecture in Germany and its relevance for the reconstruction of Ukraine» The Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg is located in the city of Cottbus in eastern Germany Yaryna Onufriv collaborated with researchers from the Department of Urban Planning and interviews were conducted with prominent German architects and urban planners who had experience with participatory design and involving people in the design process (in particular as well as with urbanist and participatory design expert Sally Below During her stay at the Brandenburg University of Technology, Yaryna Onufriv attended lectures and seminars with students, and got acquainted with the educational process at the Department of Urban Design. She also took part in the international student workshop «Integrated Urban Development. Planning and Design» (Chernivtsi/Mannheim 2024) in Mannheim during which she cooperated and exchanged experience with colleagues from other German and Ukrainian universities in a friendly atmosphere Yaryna Onufriv also had the opportunity to talk to Professor Silke Weidner Head of the Chair of Urban Management at the Brandenburg University of Technology who helped organise two more meetings with experts in participatory urban planning in Leipzig which Yaryna Onufriv intends to integrate into her lecture course «Participation and Cooperation in Urban Planning» for master’s students at the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Lviv Polytechnic National University further cooperation in the scientific and educational fields between the Departments of the universities is planned including the exchange of students and teachers under the Erasmus+ academic mobility agreement between the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg and Lviv Polytechnic National University joint student and professional workshops will also be held E-mail: coffice@lpnu.ua Food Poisoning Outbreaks and Litigation: Surveillance and Analysis along with CDC and state and local partners are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg infections linked to certain Jif peanut butter products produced at the J.M There have been a total of 14 illnesses with 2 hospitalization in the following states: Arkansas (1) Product distribution was nationwide and has been confirmed for states listed but product could have been distributed further but perhaps perplexing fact that needs further answers: FDA conducted Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis on an environmental sample collected at the Lexington The analysis shows that this 2010 environmental sample matches the strain causing illnesses in this current outbreak Smucker Company has voluntarily recalled certain Jif brand peanut butter products that have the lot code numbers between 1274425 – 2140425 manufactured in Lexington If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation Bill Marler is an accomplished personal injury lawyer and national expert on foodborne illness litigation He began representing victims of foodborne illness in 1993 the most seriously injured survivor of the Jack in the Box E Bill Marler is an accomplished personal injury lawyer and national expert on foodborne illness litigation. He began representing victims of foodborne illness in 1993, when he represented Brianne Kiner, the most seriously injured survivor of the Jack in the Box E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, resulting in her landmark $15.6 million settlement. Marler founded Food Safety News in 2009. The nation’s foremost law firm with a practice dedicated to representing victims of foodborne illness This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Breaking news for everyone's consumption a total of 16 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Senftenberg have been reported from 12 states:  Arkansas (1) for every one person who is a stool-culture confirmed positive victim of Salmonella in the United States there is a multiple of 38.5 who are also sick but remain uncounted “FoodNet estimate of the burden of illness caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella infections in the United States,” Clinical Infectious Diseases 2004; 38 (Suppl 3): S127-34) Illnesses started on dates ranging from February 19 Sick people range in age from less than one to 85 years The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick Of the nine sick people with brand information all nine  reported eating Jif brand peanut butter Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis shows that samples from sick people in this investigation are closely related genetically to a sample collected in 2010 from the environment at J.M Smucker Company’s facility in Lexington where some Jif brand peanut butter is produced.  We have sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the FDA for the release of all inspection reports of this plant from 2010 to the present Smucker Company recalled multiple Jif brand peanut butter types Additional companies have recalled food items made with Jif brand peanut butter (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here) A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website Share sensitive information only on official Stay up to date on food recalls and outbreaks to avoid getting sick from eating contaminated food CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) collected different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg infections Epidemiologic and laboratory data showed that Jif brand peanut butter made people sick As of July 27, 2022, a total of 21 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Senftenberg were reported from 17 states (see map). Illnesses started on dates ranging from February 20, 2022, through May 24, 2022 (see timeline) Sick people ranged in age from less than one to 85 years State and local public health officials interviewed people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 13 people interviewed, 13 (100%) reported eating peanut butter in the week before they got sick. This percentage was significantly higher than results from a survey of healthy people in which 57% of respondents reported eating any peanut butter in the week before they were interviewed This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating peanut butter All 13 people reported eating Jif brand peanut butter specifically Public health investigators used the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that were part of this outbreak. CDC PulseNet manages a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. DNA fingerprinting is performed on bacteria using a method called whole genome sequencing (WGS) WGS showed that bacteria from sick people's samples were closely related genetically This means that people in this outbreak likely got sick from the same food FDA conducted WGS analysis on an environmental sample collected at the Lexington The analysis shows that this 2010 environmental sample was closely related genetically to the outbreak strain WGS analysis of bacteria from 21 people's samples did not predict resistance to any antibiotics. Standard antibiotic susceptibility testing by CDC's National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory was underway at the time this investigation closed CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collecting different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg infections Epidemiologic and laboratory data show that some Jif brand peanut butters may be contaminated with Salmonella Senftenberg and are making people sick Since the last update on May 21, 2022, two more illnesses have been reported. As of May 25, 2022, a total of 16 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Senftenberg have been reported from 12 states (see map). Illnesses started on dates ranging from February 19, 2022, through May 2, 2022 (see timeline) all nine (100%) reported eating Jif brand peanut butter WGS analysis of 16 people's samples did not predict resistance to any antibiotics. Standard antibiotic susceptibility testing by CDC's National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory is currently underway CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collecting different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg infections As of May 21 2022, a total of 14 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Senftenberg have been reported from 12 states (see map). Illnesses started on dates ranging from February 17, 2022, through May 1, 2022 (see timeline) Four of five (80%) sick people reported Jif brand peanut butter Two people reported Jif Creamy Reduced Fat peanut butter one person reported Jif Natural Creamy Low Sodium peanut butter and one person reported Jif Natural Creamy peanut butter Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. CDC PulseNet manages a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. DNA fingerprinting is performed on bacteria using a method called whole genome sequencing (WGS) WGS showed that bacteria from sick people's samples are closely related genetically This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from the same food WGS analysis shows that samples from sick people in this investigation are closely related genetically to a sample collected in 2010 from the environment at J.M where some Jif brand peanut butter is produced WGS analysis of bacteria from 14 people's samples did not predict resistance to any antibiotics. Standard antibiotic susceptibility testing by CDC's National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory is currently underway On May 20 2022, J.M. Smucker Company recalled multiple Jif brand peanut butter types Salmonella bacteria (germs) are a leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States Providing Insight on Food Poisoning Outbreaks & Litigation The key points of this warning letter are in BOLD below: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Food Safety Branch (CHFS-FSB) jointly inspected your manufacturing facility located at 767 Winchester Road The inspection was initiated as part of a multistate foodborne outbreak investigation of Salmonella Senftenberg (S Senftenberg) illnesses linked to your ready-to-eat (RTE) peanut butter According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 21 people from 17 states were infected with the outbreak strain of S your firm recalled all peanut butter manufactured at this facility from October 1 due to potential contamination with Salmonella that peanut butter manufactured at your facility was the source of this multistate S the evidence establishes that you introduced adulterated peanut butter into interstate commerce as prohibited by section 301(a) of the Federal Food We received your responses to the FDA 483 dated July 1 describing the corrective actions taken and planned by your firm including training records associated with your implemented corrective actions After reviewing the inspectional findings and your responses we are issuing this letter to advise you of FDA’s continuing concerns and provide detailed information describing the findings at your facility Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg linked to Jif Brand Peanut Butter: During routine monitoring of the whole genome sequencing (WGS) National Center for Bioinformatics database FDA identified five recent 2022 clinical isolates (samples collected from ill people) which matched over one hundred third-party peanut butter and environmental isolates from Kentucky collected from 2014 to 2017. Shortly thereafter FDA and CDC began investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections five out of five patients who were interviewed reported peanut butter exposure with four specifically reporting consuming Jif brand peanut butter. FDA reviewed information from inspections and identified a 2010 FDA environmental sample of S WGS was conducted on the 2010 environmental sample and it was found to match the growing cluster of S Senftenberg clinical isolates from the outbreak of Salmonella infections and the peanut butter and environmental isolates from Kentucky. The presence of the same S Senftenberg strain in your facility since 2010 we notified you of these findings via teleconference you initiated a voluntary recall of Jif brand peanut butter CDC deployed a supplemental peanut butter focused questionnaire to identify possible clinical exposures this outbreak included 21 cases from 17 states all reported Jif brand peanut butter exposure (100%) laboratory and traceback data show that you introduced adulterated peanut butter into interstate commerce as prohibited by section 301(a) of the Act (21 U.S.C the evidence supports that the peanut butter responsible for this outbreak was manufactured in your Lexington Your finished product testing records from January 1 indicate that you detected Salmonella in your RTE peanut butter on numerous occasions and that your corrective actions were not sufficient to address the root cause of the contamination you identified a leak in the air intake vent of the cooling chamber of Roaster (b)(4) as a source of water entering your equipment and stated you immediately repaired the vent you detected Salmonella in (b)(4) of the (b)(4) lots on Line (b)(4) ((b)(4) and (b)(4)) using your standard (b)(4) samples per lot sampling program you “collect[ed] [and tested] (b)(4) samples ((b)(4)sample composites) from the lot[s] produced immediately prior to and after the product that tested positive.” After testing (b)(4) lots that initially tested negative for Salmonella you identified two additional positive lots: you detected Salmonella in a (b)(4) lot on Line (b)(4) using your standard (b)(4) samples per lot sampling program after testing (b)(4) lots that initially tested negative for Salmonella you identified additional positive lots: You indicated that “[e]ven when the additional samples test negative we destroy all (b)(4) production lots to provide further assurance we have bracketed and eliminated any potential contamination.” However your positive test results for lots for which Salmonella was previously not detected show the limitations of reliance on your testing program to identify contamination as a way to prevent contaminated products from reaching consumers Senftenberg outbreak shows that neither your corrective actions nor your finished product testing was adequate to prevent contaminated product from reaching consumers and causing illnesses Senftenberg was likely due in part to Salmonella introduced to your production process through cooling air supply vents that were installed incorrectly on Roaster (b)(4) on December 10 allowing unfiltered air and a small amount of rainwater to enter the cooling section of the roaster where the peanuts are RTE Preventing water in dry processing environments for low moisture foods is essential to control environmental pathogens such as Salmonella you stated that you updated your finished product testing procedures to include a “(b)(4) Hold” in the event a single positive result is detected in your RTE peanut butter This (b)(4) Hold includes holding “(b)(4) Lots” produced (b)(4) hours before and (b)(4) hours after the affected (i.e. positive) lot and performing further testing using (b)(4) samples from only the (b)(4) lots on “each extreme of the bracketed window” (i.e. only the (b)(4) or (b)(4) lot on either end of the held product) You stated that “this conservative approach provides a safety factor to ensure any potential contamination is included [in the held product].” We are concerned that your use of this approach in response to a contamination event would not ensure all affected product would be identified and prevented from entering commerce We are not aware of any data or scientific rationale to support how your (b)(4)Hold would be an effective approach to identify all product affected by a contamination event in your continuous production of RTE peanut butter we ask that you provide support for your approach Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (21 CFR Part 117 You did not identify and evaluate the hazard of contamination with environmental pathogens as a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard to determine whether it requires a preventive control “Hazard Analysis – Process for the ‘Jif Lexington’” plant did not consider the hazard of recontamination with environmental pathogens at post-roasting processing steps from blanching to sorting and milling (including (b)(4)) In-process RTE peanuts are exposed to the environment at these steps and the food does not receive further treatment or otherwise include a control measure (such as a formulation lethal to the pathogen) that would significantly minimize the pathogen response discussed actions your facility has taken to address the deficiencies with your food safety plan including adding environmental recontamination with Salmonella as a hazard requiring a sanitation preventive control at all steps where RTE product is exposed to the environment and will not receive an additional kill-step you did not provide a revised hazard analysis or food safety plan for our evaluation we request that you provide your current food safety plan (including your hazard analysis) Your corrective action procedures did not ensure appropriate action was taken to reduce the likelihood that environmental contamination will recur when you detected Salmonella in your facility’s environment you indicated that your environmental monitoring program included collecting (b)(4) environmental samples from zones (b)(4) and (b)(4) located throughout the manufacturing and packaging areas of the facility All samples were sent to your third-party testing laboratory and analyzed for Listeria monocytogenes You stated that your corrective actions for positive samples included increased cleaning and sanitizing to the subject area until (b)(4) negatives are obtained.Your environmental monitoring records from July 24 revealed four Salmonella positive environmental swabs located at roaster (b)(4) floor of the entrance to the blanch nut tank rooms (b)(4) and (b)(4) and the floor broom in the roaster (b)(4) You determined that the root causes for each Salmonella positive environmental swab were roof leaks or increased foot traffic during repairs in response to roof leaks and you took immediate action to repair roof leaks and to correct foot traffic issues Your records indicate that you suspended production until you could clean and sanitize the areas and take other corrective actions such as adding (b)(4) and replacing utensils Your environmental monitoring records from 2021 revealed five Salmonella positive environmental swabs in your facility on July 6 These Salmonella positive swabs were found on the floors near your blanch nut tank rooms the stairs at the top level of the nut house (b)(4) and the stairs leading to platform “(b)(4)” The detection of Salmonella in your facility in 5 locations in 2021 many of which were similar to locations where you detected Salmonella in 2018 and 2019 show that your corrective action procedures in response to environmental contamination in 2018 and 2019 were not sufficient to reduce the likelihood that environmental contamination would recur you indicated that you conducted root cause investigations on the 2021 Salmonella findings in your facility and you implemented corrective actions consistent with your environmental monitoring procedures the outcomes of these investigations (e.g. your root cause determinations) were not provided in your response This letter is not intended to be an all-inclusive statement of violations that may exist in connection with your products You are responsible for investigating and determining the causes of any violations and for preventing their recurrence or the occurrence of other violations It is your responsibility to ensure that your firm complies with all requirements of federal law This letter notifies you of our concerns and provides you an opportunity to address them Failure to adequately address this matter may result in legal action including We are concerned that the history of contamination events associated with water in your facility and results from the WGS database suggest that Salmonella may be resident within your production facility. As an example of the continuing problems with water in the facility measuring approximately 4 feet by 8 feet in the bottom of cooling zone (b)(4) in Roaster (b)(4) and a puddle of water measuring approximately 4 inches by 4 inches in the bottom of cooling zone (b)(4) in Roaster (b)(4) you collected environmental swabs from Roaster (b)(4) which were found to be indicative of microbial growth Your investigation found a defective flange on the zone (b)(4) cooler inlet of Roaster (b)(4) which allowed rainwater and unfiltered air to enter the roaster’s cooling zones and contact the roasted peanuts after the roasting/kill step Your corrective actions included repairing the defective flange and cleaning and sanitizing the roasters you stated that you will verify that there are no conditions conducive for bacteria growth on equipment due to the presence of water/moisture before beginning a production run you provided your “Right to Run (b)(4)Inspection” procedure which you state is a supplement to the overall Plant Food Safety program to ensure the plant does not continue production with critical food safety risks present (i.e. “external conducive conditions related to water penetration and other adverse environmental factors that could yield product contamination”) You also implemented (b)(4) inspections and sanitation of the roofs and ceilings according to your Master Sanitation Schedule While these procedures may help to identify events which would introduce water into your processing environment constant vigilance is needed to ensure water does not become a source or route of cross-contamination in your dry processing environment to prevent Salmonella from spreading in your facility and adulterating your products it is essential to identify the areas in your food manufacturing plant where Salmonella survive and take corrective actions as necessary to eradicate the organism we recommend that you consider incorporating WGS as a tool to investigate pathogen isolates obtained in your environmental monitoring program and/or your finished product testing program The use of WGS to analyze and investigate any pathogen isolated from your production environment or RTE peanut butter will provide the most complete information available to identify and implement appropriate and effective corrective actions including steps to prevent the contamination from recurring and steps to ensure contaminated product does not enter commerce we note that during the inspection and in your response dated July 1 you stated that on “very rare instances you find Salmonella in finished product when a Salmonella organism survives our validated thermal process.” Specifically you stated this in reference to the detection of Salmonella in your peanut butter produced on October 22 You added that you have a “robust finished product testing program specifically because of this possibility such as the roasters that are validated to deliver over a (b)(4) kill does not eliminate the potential that Salmonella could survive the roasting process on rare occasion.” We evaluated your roasting process parameters during the inspection and disagree with your position that a properly validated and implemented process control at your peanut roasting step would allow for the survival of Salmonella such that the pathogen would be detected in your finished product because it survived the roasting step response that after detecting Salmonella in your RTE peanut butter on February 4 you used a (b)(4) to remove peanut butter from the lines between the (b)(4) to the (b)(4). (b)(4) piping and other equipment used to process peanut butter contaminated with Salmonella although effective at removing large amounts of peanut butter from the equipment are not an effective means of eliminating possible Salmonella contamination from that equipment within 15 working days of receipt of this letter of the specific steps you have taken to address any violations Include an explanation of each step being taken to prevent the recurrence of violations as well as copies of related documentation If you cannot complete corrective actions within 15 working days state the reason for the delay and the time within which you will do so If you believe that your products are not in violation of the Act include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration Your written response should be sent to United States Food & Drug Administration; Attn: Allison Hunter Compliance Officer via email at ORAHAFEAST5FirmResponses@fda.hhs.gov or 550 Main Street If you have questions regarding this letter please contact CO Hunter by telephone at (513) 322-0629 or via email at allison.hunter@fda.hhs.gov Division VOffice of Human & Animal Food Operations-East and Cosmetic Act in 1938 in reaction to growing public safety demands  The primary goal of the Act was to protect the health and safety of the public by preventing deleterious adulterated or misbranded articles from entering interstate commerce a food product is deemed “adulterated” if the food was “prepared or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth or whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health.” A food product is also considered “adulterated” if it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance and the recently signed Food Safety Modernization Act stand today as the primary means by which the federal government enforces food safety standards Chapter III of the Act addresses prohibited acts subjecting violators to both civil and criminal liability Provisions for criminal sanctions are clear: Felony violations include adulterating or misbranding a food and putting an adulterated or misbranded food  Any person who commits a prohibited act violates the FDCA  A person committing a prohibited act “with the intent to defraud or mislead” is guilty of a felony punishable by years in jail and millions in fines or both does not require proof of fraudulent intent a person may be convicted if he or she held a position of responsibility or authority in a firm such that the person could have prevented the violation  Convictions under the misdemeanor provisions are punishable by not more than one year or fined not more than $250,000 if you are a producer of food and knowingly or not manufacturer and sell adulterated food you can (and should) face fines and jail time Bill Marler is an accomplished personal injury and products liability attorney He began litigating foodborne illness cases in 1993 From Bethlehem and Frankfurt to London and Boston the surging coronavirus put a damper on Christmas Eve for a second year forcing churches to cancel or scale back services and disrupting travel plans and family gatherings Drummers and bagpipers marched through Bethlehem — the town where Christians believe Jesus was born — to smaller than usual crowds after new Israeli travel restrictions meant to slow the highly contagious omicron variant kept international tourists away a line wound halfway around Cologne's massive cathedral not for midnight Mass but for vaccinations The offer of shots was an expression of "care for one's neighbor" that was consistent with the message of Christmas cathedral provost Guido Assmann told the DPA news agency people weary from nearly two years of lockdowns and other restrictions searched for ways to enjoy some of the holiday rituals safely "We can't let the virus take our lives from us when we're healthy," said Rosalia Lopes a retired Portuguese government worker who was doing some last-minute shopping in the coastal town of Cascais She said she and her family were exhausted by the pandemic and determined to go ahead with their celebrations with the help of vaccines and booster shots rapid home tests and mask-wearing in public She planned a traditional Portuguese Christmas Eve dinner of baked cod many doing so as a precaution before traveling to reunite with family But holiday travel was dealt a blow when major airlines canceled hundreds of flights, in part because of staff shortages largely tied to omicron. In Britain, where the coronavirus variant is ripping through the population, some houses of worship hoped to press on. At St. Paul's Old Ford, an Anglican church in East London, priests planned to hold services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But to protect parishioners, the church called off its Nativity play. Numerous churches in the U.S. canceled in-person services, including Washington National Cathedral in the nation's capital and historic Old South Church in Boston. Others planned outdoor celebrations or a mix of online and in-person worship. In Germany, churchgoers faced a thicket of health restrictions and limits on attendance. Some had to show proof of vaccination or testing. Frankfurt's cathedral, which can hold 1,200 people, offered only 137 socially distanced spaces, all of which were booked days in advance. Singing was allowed only through masks. People in the Netherlands tried to make the best of the holiday, despite living under one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe. All nonessential shops were closed, including bars and restaurants, and home visits were limited to two people per day, four on Christmas. "We are just meeting with some small groups of family for the next few days," Marloes Jansen, who was waiting in line to buy the traditional Dutch kerststol, a Christmas bread with fruits and nuts. A glitch in a computerized appointment system prevented scores of people from scheduling COVID-19 tests and undermined the government's efforts to administer booster shots in a country already lagging far behind its neighbors. In France, some visited loved ones in the hospital. In the Mediterranean city of Marseille, the intensive care unit at La Timone Hospital has been taking in more and more COVID-19 patients in recent days. Amelie Khayat has been paying daily visits to her husband, Ludo, 41, who is recovering from spending 24 days in a coma and on a breathing machine. They touched their heads together as she sat on his bed, and now that he is strong enough to stand, he got up to give her a farewell hug, as a medical worker put final decorations on the ICU Christmas tree. Parisians lined up at chocolate shops, farmers' markets and testing centers. France has posted record numbers of daily COVID-19 infections, and hospitalizations have been rising, but the government has held off on imposing curfews or closings during the holidays. In Antwerp, Belgium, Christmas trees hung upside down from windows in a protest against the closing of cultural venues. In Bethlehem, the scene was much more festive than it was a year ago, when musicians marched through empty streets. This year, hundreds of people gathered in Manger Square as bagpipe-and-drum units streamed through. Before the pandemic, Bethlehem would host thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world. The lack of visitors has hit the city's hotels, restaurants and gift shops especially hard. Associated Press journalists Danica Kirka in London; Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal; Aritz Parra in Madrid; Daniel Cole in Marseille, France; and Molly Quell in the Netherlands. In the USA, Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Senftenberg is among the top five serovars isolated from food and the top 11 serovars isolated from clinically ill animals. Human infections are associated with exposure to farm environments or contaminated food. The objective of this study was to characterize S. Senftenberg isolates from production animals by analyzing phenotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles, genomic features and phylogeny. This study provided antimicrobial susceptibility and genomic characteristics of S. Senftenberg clinical isolates from production animals in the USA during 2014 to 2017. This study will serve as a base for future studies focused on the phenotypic and molecular antimicrobial characterization of S. Senftenberg isolates in animals. Monitoring of antimicrobial resistance to detect emergence of multidrug-resistant strains is critical. Volume 13 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.979790 This article is part of the Research TopicWomen in Infectious Agents and Disease: 2022View all 10 articles Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Senftenberg is among the top five serovars isolated from food and the top 11 serovars isolated from clinically ill animals Human infections are associated with exposure to farm environments or contaminated food The objective of this study was to characterize S Senftenberg isolates from production animals by analyzing phenotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles Salmonella Senftenberg isolates (n = 94) from 20 US states were selected from NVSL submissions (2014–2017) Resistance genotypes were determined using whole genome sequencing analysis with AMRFinder and the NCBI and ResFinder databases with ABRicate Plasmids were detected using PlasmidFinder Integrons were detected using IntFinder and manual alignment with reference genes Multilocus-sequence-typing (MLST) was determined using ABRicate with PubMLST database 60.6% were resistant to at least one antimicrobial and 39.4% showed multidrug resistance The most prevalent resistance findings were for streptomycin (44.7%) ampicillin (36.2%) and sulfisoxazole (32.9%) The most commonly found antimicrobial resistance genes were aac(6′)-Iaa (100%) aph(3″)-Ib and aph(6)-Id (29.8%) for aminoglycosides followed by blaTEM-1 (26.6%) for penicillins sul1 (25.5%) and sul2 (23.4%) for sulfonamides and tetA (23.4%) for tetracyclines Quinolone-resistant isolates presented mutations in gyrA and/or parC genes Class 1 integrons were found in 37 isolates Thirty-six plasmid types were identified among 77.7% of the isolates Phylogenetic analysis identified two distinct lineages of S Senftenberg that correlated with the MLST results Isolates were classified into two distinct sequence types (ST): ST14 (97.9%) and ST 185 (2.1%) The diversity of this serotype suggests multiple introductions into animal populations from outside sources This study provided antimicrobial susceptibility and genomic characteristics of S Senftenberg clinical isolates from production animals in the USA during 2014 to 2017 This study will serve as a base for future studies focused on the phenotypic and molecular antimicrobial characterization of S Monitoring of antimicrobial resistance to detect emergence of multidrug-resistant strains is critical Since Salmonella is associated with outbreaks of foodborne disease, MDR strains pose a risk to public health because of the potential for treatment failures (Nair et al., 2018) Few studies exist on the antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic diversity of Salmonella serovar Senftenberg of animal origin Among all Salmonella serotyping submissions received at the NVSL from January 1 Senftenberg ranked number eight during 2014 and number 10 during 2015 among clinical isolates 2016 and number two during 2017 among non-clinical isolates The objective of this study was to compare phenotypic and genomic resistance data Senftenberg diagnostic isolates recovered from poultry and cattle in the USA between 2014 and 2017 and to provide useful retrospective information for future studies on S Senftenberg isolates from swine (n = 50) poultry (n = 24) and cattle (n = 20) were selected from the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) Salmonella repository isolates archived at room temperature on nutrient agar slants Samples came from 20 US States (IA = 20 Isolates were selected from samples that were submitted to the NVSL for Salmonella serotyping, confirmed by classical (Grimont and Weill, 2007) and molecular typing using Luminex xMAP® technology (Dunbar et al., 2015) The dataset was initially limited to one sample per year per owner If more than the targeted number of isolates were available a randomly selected subset of isolates was chosen The data was then de-identified to remove information other than the animal species and sample type and assigned a unique identifier Salmonella was confirmed using Biotyper software with an autoflex speed™ MALDI-TOF instrument (Bruker Daltonics Isolate sequences are publicly available in the NCBI BioProject PRJNA785813 Overall, the highest percentage of resistance was found to the following antimicrobials: streptomycin (44.7%), tetracycline (42.6%), ampicillin (36.2%) and sulfisoxazole (32.9%) (Figure 1) Senftenberg isolates were susceptible to meropenem Antimicrobial resistance rates of the 94 Salmonella Senftenberg isolates For ciprofloxacin (CIP) isolates categorized as intermediate (MIC 0.12 to 0.5 μg/mL) or resistant (MIC ≥ 1 μg/mL) were defined as having decreased susceptibility to CIP with a MIC ≥ 0.12 μg/mL Senftenberg isolates displaying antimicrobial resistance Antimicrobial resistance genes are shown in Table 1 The most commonly observed was the aminoglycoside acetyltransferase aac(6′)-Iaa gene and the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase aph(3″)-Ib and aph(6)-Id genes seen together in 29.8% (n = 28) of isolates a dihydropteroate synthase that is linked to other resistance genes of class 1 integrons and confers resistance to sulfonamides was found in 25.5% (n = 24) of the isolates; and the sul2 gene was observed in 23.4% (n = 22) of the isolates Resistance to tetracycline was due to the presence of the tetA gene that encodes a tetracycline efflux pump and it was observed in 23.4% (n = 22) of the isolates was the most prevalent beta-lactamase gene (26.6%) conferring resistance to penicillins (ampicillin); but blaCMY-2 was the most prevalent beta-lactamase gene (14.9%) against penicillins plus inhibitors (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid) and cephalosporins (cefoxitin The class A extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) encoded by the blaSHV-12 gene were found in five isolates from swine In addition to aph(3″)-Ib and aph(6)-Id genes other resistance genes were observed that convey resistance to aminoglycosides including several integron-encoded aminoglycoside nucleotidyltransferases such as aadA1 Resistance genes for gentamicin included several aminoglycoside acetyltransferases encoded by: aac(6′)-Ib4 gene in 9.6%; aac(6′)-Ib aac(3)-VIa in 7.4%; and aac(3)-IVa in 4.3% The nucleotidyltransferase ant(2″)-la gene was found in 7.4% and the methyltransferase armA gene in one isolate Six genes conferring resistance to macrolides were found in 13.8% of isolates; the ereA gene that encodes an erythromycin esterase was the most frequently identified in 6 isolates followed by the mphA gene that encodes a macrolide 2′-phosphotransferase in 3 isolates Several resistance genes were found for chloramphenicol; the most frequent was the plasmid or transposon-encoded chloramphenicol exporter floR Additional chloramphenicol exporter genes found in lower frequency were cmlA5 (3.4%) and cmlA1 (1.1%) genes Quinolone-resistance genes were detected in 12 isolates; the most frequent gene was qnrB2 a plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance protein and others in lower frequency: qnrB19 in 3.4% qnrB6 in 1.1% and aac(6′)-lb-cr in 1.1% of isolates The aac(6′)-lb-cr gene doubly confers resistance to aminoglycoside and fluoroquinolone antibiotics through fluoroquinolone-acetylating activity which is often carried in the conserved sequence (3′ CS) of a class 1 integron Ten of these integrons were identified as In48 and carried a resistant gene cassette (aac(6)-Ib) positive for Intl1 and carried a dfrA15 cassette Seventeen isolates exhibited decreased resistance to ciprofloxacin (MIC ≥0.12 μg/ml) Fluoroquinolone-resistance genes were identified in 11 of those isolates The remaining six isolates did not harbor any resistance genes; however point mutations were detected in these six isolates Four isolates showed a point mutation in the gyrA (D87N) and parC (T57S) genes and the other two isolates had a mutation in only the parC (T57S) gene Five isolates exhibited resistance to nalidixic acid without any specific quinolone resistance gene present but in four of these five isolates there were point mutations in gyrA and parC genes and in only the parC gene for one isolate all the isolates showed mutations in the parC gene regardless of phenotypic resistance to nalidixic acid or ciprofloxacin The association of antimicrobial susceptibility with antimicrobial resistance genes is shown in Table 3 The least discordance among the animal isolates was seen for β-lactams and the most were seen for phenicols Antimicrobial resistance varied across isolates from different animal species. Isolates from all animal species showed susceptibility to MEM. Isolates from cattle and swine showed resistance to all other antimicrobials in variable frequency. All poultry isolates were susceptible to AMC, FOX, CRO, AZM, CIP and NAL (Figure 2) Antimicrobial resistance for each drug among cattle The percentage of isolates that were MDR varied among the different animal species Sixty percent (30/50) of the isolates from swine were MDR; three were resistant to 12 antimicrobials and one was resistant to 13 antimicrobials Antimicrobial resistance genes are often encoded on mobile genetic elements such as plasmids 36 plasmid types were identified in 73 (77.7%) isolates Plasmid profiles differed among each animal species Thirty-four different plasmids were found among swine isolates 14 among poultry isolates and 10 among cattle isolates found in 60.6% of the study isolates: n = 20 (83.3%) in poultry n = 31 (62%) in swine and n = 6 (30%) in cattle isolates IncHI2A and IncHI2 in 12.8% of isolates (75% in swine isolates) and others in lower frequency The presence of the mcr-9.1 colistin resistance gene and the presence of the ESBL blaSHV-12 gene were correlated with the presence of the two plasmids IncHI2A and IncHI2 Isolates were classified into two distinct sequence types (ST) based on MLST analysis from genome sequences Ninety-two isolates (97.9%) belonged to ST14 and only two isolates (2.1%) belonged to ST185 ST14 and ST185 share no common alleles at any of the seven loci that define an allelic profile or ST by MLST analysis S. Senftenberg is a polyphyletic serovar. Phylogenetic analysis identified two distinct lineages of S. Senftenberg in this study that correlated with the MLST results. The smaller clade corresponded to ST185, and the majority of isolates corresponded to ST14 (Supplementary Figure S1) The addition of closely related representative serotypes from NCBI shows that the two MLST types observed in this study are entirely distinct lineages; and in addition Senftenberg which was not observed in this study This suggests that the serotype designation may not represent a good indicator of the genetic relationships between strains The well differentiated cluster within the ST14 group showed an average distance of 30.8 SNPs (range of 22 to 44 SNP) from a common ancestor A previous study of animal and human isolates in the USA (Stepan et al., 2011) showed that human strains of S Senftenberg were susceptible to all of the antimicrobials tested whereas the animal isolates showed a range of resistance with most isolates being resistant to two or more antimicrobials In this study, isolates from swine and cattle showed resistance to 13 antimicrobials in different frequencies, whereas poultry isolates showed resistance to only six antimicrobials tested; these results differ from Stepan et al. (Stepan et al., 2011) where the rate of resistance to antimicrobials was similar across the host species (swine Other important findings of our study were the presence of three isolates from swine resistant to 12 antibiotics and one resistant to 13 antibiotics Variations were in the Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-1 and SPI-2 that exhibited distinct biochemical and phenotypic signatures Clade 1 isolates comprised three sequence types: ST185 being single or double locus variants relative to one another the two distinct lineages also differ in the ST Even though there are other STs observed in other datasets these STs are single or double locus variants relative to one another We observed that there are other serotypes that fall between the two lineages indicating that they are two completely independent lineages in S Senftenberg and not a single serotype that diverged over time As may be expected based on the phylogenetic diversity, resistance patterns among S. Senftenberg isolates differ significantly among isolates. In our study, the most common resistance profile was AMP, GEN, STR (n = 5 isolates), whereas Stepan et al. (Stepan et al., 2011) found STR SXT the most common (n = 4 isolates) In our study sul1 and sul2 genes were also associated with sulfonamide resistance and floR gene the most prevalent associated with chloramphenicol resistance 60% (n = 30) of isolates from swine origin showed MDR and in 70% (n = 21) of these isolates we observed the presence of a class 1 integron The number of plasmids did not correlate with MDR or XDR as we found isolates with as many as seven or eight plasmids that were resistant to only one or two antibiotics and isolates with only one plasmid with resistance to seven antibiotics Senftenberg isolates carrying the qacEΔ1 gene were MDR This study provided an analysis of retrospective data of Salmonella Senftenberg and information about the antimicrobial susceptibility and genomic characteristics in diagnostic isolates of S Senftenberg from production animals in the USA This study reports the genotype-phenotype homogeneity and variability of S to cause disease in various animal species to be a potential risk of transmission to humans and to harbor resistance to critical antimicrobial and mobile elements capable of dissemination of acquired resistance genes makes S Senftenberg an important public health pathogen In this study we found that 39.4% of the isolates tested displayed multidrug resistance and four isolates were potentially extensively drug resistant This has important implications for both animal and human health due to possible transmission of MDR bacteria from animal to animal or animal to human (zoonotic) and the difficulty in treatment of resistant bacteria These data highlight the need to strengthen surveillance to detect the prevalence and transmission of nontyphoidal Salmonella species because of the emergence of MDR strains It is critical to identify the emergence of these strains as early as possible to avoid further dissemination and establish control procedures This data is useful for future studies on S Senftenberg and to further understand this pathogen as few studies exist on the antimicrobial susceptibility genotypic profiles and genetic diversity of Salmonella Senftenberg of animal origin The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ MS: investigation and writing – original draft preparation project administration and funding acquisition TM and LS: writing – review and editing This project was supported in part by an appointment to the Research Participation Program at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education through an interagency agreement between the US Department of Energy and USDA APHIS We are grateful to Claudia Perea for assistance with the phylogenetic trees The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.979790/full#supplementary-material 1. ^https://github.com/seeman/abricate/ 2. ^https://github.com/USDA-VS/vSNP Argüello Characterization of antimicrobial resistance determinants and class 1 and class 2 Integrons in Salmonella enterica spp. Heterogeneity of Persistence of Salmonella enterica Serotype Senftenberg strains could explain the emergence of this serotype in poultry flocks Carattoli In silico detection and typing of plasmids using PlasmidFinder and plasmid multilocus sequence typing Identification of novel mobilized colistin resistance gene mcr-9 in a multidrug-resistant colistin-susceptible Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium isolate Center for Genomic Epidemiology (1998). 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Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/Salmonella/senftenberg-05-22/index.html Google Scholar Emergence of new variants of antibiotic resistance genomic islands among multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica in poultry CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Review of studies on the thermal resistance of Salmonellae PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Luminex(®) multiplex bead suspension arrays for the detection and serotyping of Salmonella spp Genomic and phenotypic analyses reveal the emergence of an atypical Salmonella enterica Serovar Senftenberg variant in China Validating the AMRFinder tool and resistance gene database by using antimicrobial resistance genotype-phenotype correlations in a collection of isolates published correction appears in Antimicrob Agents Chemother kSNP3.0: SNP detection and phylogenetic analysis of genomes without genome alignment or reference genome CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Antigenic Formulae of the Salmonella Serovars Google Scholar Genomic evidence of environmental and resident Salmonella Senftenberg and Montevideo contamination in the pistachio supply-chain Multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections linked to imported Maradol papayas – United States Extremely drug-resistant Salmonella enterica Serovar Senftenberg infections in patients in Zambia Jovčić Genomic characteristics of Colistin-resistant Salmonella enterica subsp enterica Serovar Infantis from poultry farms in the republic of Serbia Liakopoulos Genomic and functional characterisation of IncX3 plasmids encoding blaSHV-12 in Escherichia coli from human and animal origin Surveillance of Salmonella prevalence in animal feeds and characterization of the Salmonella isolates by serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility Loaiza, K., Ortega-Paredes, D., Kristofer Johansson, M. 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I. M. D. (2019). Salmonella Senftenberg. https://confluence.cornell.edu Google Scholar The mcr-9 gene of Salmonella and Escherichia coli is not associated with Colistin resistance in the United States Google Scholar US Food and Drug Administration (2021). Interpretative Criteria for Susceptibility Testing. 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) *Correspondence: Mariela E. Srednik, bWFyaWVsYS5zcmVkbmlrQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ== ASTOC Architects & Planners have won first prize in the international competition for the new harbor and pier in Senftenberg, Germany The purpose of the competition was to design the new harbour on the basis of an urban study The integration of the lake into the 70 square kilometers of navigable interconnection will further develop the tourist infrastructure of the region “Lausitzer Seenland” The new pier plays an important role as a new landmark for the region The project consists of port facilities as well as a restaurant with meeting rooms overlooking the harbor You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Topeka-area grocery stores are among those to pull Jif products from the shelves after J.B issued a recall because of a possible Salmonella Senftenberg contamination Products affected have lot code numbers 1274425 through 2140425, and digits ending with 425 The numbers can be found by the best-if-used-by date Missouri and Arkansas are among 12 states that have reported 14 people have been sickened Two were hospitalized. Salmonella Senftenberg can cause outbreaks of gastroenteritis and invasive intestinal infections Epidemiologic and laboratory data suggest that some Jif brand peanut butters and natural honey may be to blame according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention How consumers can get reimbursed for peanut butter purchaseTerry Fleer said his store pulled the products from the shelves He advised consumers on how to get reimbursed at the store where they purchased the product they could take it back to their stores," Fleer said. "They have to have a receipt." Fleer said consumers may be able to return unopened supplies for reimbursement to other stores without receipts but his store's policy is not to accept them consumers may be unable to receive compensation Fleer suggested calling the phone number provided on the items for more information "There's a number on those products you'd call that have a hotline that you can talk to," he said "There's somebody there to talk to you or answer some questions for you." Topeka's Salvation Army and the Topeka Rescue Mission weren't affected by the recall "Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever vomiting and abdominal pain," according to Smucker's recall announcement published on the U.S infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e. endocarditis and arthritis," the announcement said and others with weakened immune systems are most at risk recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak," the CDC reported A full list of recalled products may be found on the FDA's website Catheryn Hrenchir is a feature writer for The Topeka-Capital Journal She can be reached at chrenchir.gannett.com or (785) 817-638 Nearly 100 people have fallen sick in a Salmonella outbreak involving multiple countries 92 cases of Salmonella Senftenberg have been reported Infections have occurred in all age groups The United States has recorded two patients case is a 47-year-old female reported in October 2022 The second is an immunocompromised 42-year-old male with disease onset in April 2023 This person had a liver transplant in 2022 Santé publique France was informed by the national food reference laboratory that Salmonella Senftenberg had been isolated from a mixed salad containing cherry tomatoes and green leafy vegetables it was not served as intended to airline customers Thirteen affected countriesSick people also live in Austria Most cases were reported between October 2022 and March 2023 according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) suggests suspected contaminated food entered the French market around mid-August and other countries later Salmonella Senftenberg is a relatively uncommon serotype in cases of salmonellosis 36 and 75 cases respectively were reported to ECDC Link to tomatoesAmong 21 patients interviewed in Austria 20 reported consumption of tomatoes and 12 said they had eaten iceberg lettuce Tomatoes were suspected as the vehicle of infection by national authorities in France and Austria and were traced back to wholesalers in Germany there is no microbiological evidence from tomatoes so the source of infection has not been confirmed Intermittent reporting of patients between August 2022 and June 2023 indicates prolonged distribution of contaminated food from a common source for about 10 months in the EU and UK suggests a possible common source of infection or travel to Europe Contamination of cherry tomatoes may have occurred at pre-harvest on farms during growing via different sources “Identifying the nature and source (root cause) of microbial contamination of vegetables in the food chain remains crucial to ensure appropriate handling and activities by growers and consumers and to prevent the risk of foodborne illness deriving from exposure to Salmonella-contaminated vegetables,” said ECDC (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.) germany by astoc architects & planners image courtesy astoc architects & planners astoc architects & planners have won first prize in the international competition for the new harbor and pier in senftenberg participating offices included landscape office; bgmr landschaftsarchitekten becker giseke mohren richard berlin and engineering office; ecosystem saxonia gesellschaft für umweltsysteme gmbh the purpose of the competition was to design the harbour on the basis of an urban and a preliminary study the integration of the lake into the 70 square kilometers of navigable interconnection will further develop the tourist infrastructure of the region ‘lausitzer seenland’ the new pier plays an important role in the tradition of the ‘sea bridge’ and as a new emblem for the region the piers’ border area in the harbor at full length measures 470 m in length making it one of the longest piers in germany the project consists of  port facilities as well as a restaurant with meeting rooms overlooking the harbor image courtesy astoc architects & planners AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style According to the International Energy Agency global energy demand could increase by 40% by 2040 power distribution and access must be improved composed of consumers and local sustainable energy producers (using photovoltaic panels or wind turbines for example) are among the solutions proposed These miniature power grids are better suited to more small-scale use Although their development and installation are making progress they have one weakness: they are less tolerant of variations in load To remedy the issue, Inria launched the SyNPiD project (for "self-synchronisation in power grids with periodic dynamics”) The aim is to study these smaller and harder-to-stabilise electrical systems in detail and use mathematical modelling to optimise their operation In collaboration with a team from the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) in Germany the researcher and his colleagues have designed a methodological framework for mathematical analysis to manage frequency variations in microgrids we know at what times of the day power consumption will be the highest Peaks are predictable and even if there are a few variations the network is robust enough to cope with them without causing an outage in a village of just a few hundred inhabitants if someone arrives and wants to charge their electric car this causes a major variation and upsets the microgrid This problem should be taken very seriously, because microgrids have an important role to play in the energy transition. Compared with large grids, they are better suited to using renewable energy sources, which is what everyone is looking for. In France, photovoltaic solar power currently generates 21.1 GW and wind turbines generate 23.8 GW but still fall far short of the government's target of 101 to 113 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2028 Another advantage of microgrids is that they distribute electricity locally which reduces transmission costs and cuts losses not to mention the social benefits of a system that encourages local energy production initiatives that include smaller structures and partnerships between entities based in the same area Microgrids are particularly recommended on islands that are currently heavily dependent on oil where many communities have no access to electricity They are also well suited to supplying energy to a group of buildings such as a campus with no risk of tripping at the slightest variation How have the SyNPiD researchers gone about improving their reliability “The difficulty lies in modelling these small networks delving into the details and understanding just how resilient these systems are” the Valse project team headed up the theoretical part in terms of dynamic analysis and estimating frequency changes while the German researchers at BTU had a suitable platform for carrying out full-scale tests “The project lay at the crossroads of our specialities" “We had a lot of very fruitful meetings because there was lots to discuss and many difficulties to overcome The scientists at BTU used a platform with a total power of 110kW Half was provided by a conventional generator and the rest by four decentralised energy production units (equivalent to solar panels or wind turbines) which could be compared to a small village of about 50 inhabitants but the simulation nevertheless offered a fairly realistic order of magnitude The teams then studied in detail how the electric current behaved in this system in order to learn from it and design an algorithm capable of measuring the whole phenomenon “The trajectories of the current were not what we expected and were very different from what happens in a large conventional network" The researchers identified frequency variations which the simulation showed that these could be tolerated by the system “These networks are more resilient than expected sometimes all you have to do is wait and everything returns to normal after a short transition phase You don’t necessarily have to have a shut-down each time” The challenge now is to analyse the SyNPiD results in detail to identify with certainty when and how this type of microgrid needs to shut down “It's very tricky because there are so many different types of behaviour" “Our analytical framework is still under construction and all this information will feed into it” SyNPiD project and its results are being studied by two post-docs Further trials on other platforms are due to take place in the near future with the BTU Will the SyNPiD methodological framework one day be used in a “real” microgrid Denis Efimov answers in the affirmative: “We’re using power grids that were built decades ago and are still working Our aim is to solve the problems without undoing everything Dr Isa Elegbede has interdisciplinary experience and background in marine and coastal resources He is interested in applying a holistic sustainability approach to environmental issues and their impact on resources He has a bachelor's degree in fisheries from the Lagos State University and a master's degree in marine sciences (marine pollution and management) from the University of Lagos He is a visiting scholar with the Dalhousie University in Canada and a fellow of the Ocean Frontier Institute and Robin Rigby Trust Also a diaspora expert with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH/ Centre for International Migration and Development Several Jif brand peanut butter products are being recalled in Canada because of a Salmonella outbreak in the United States that has been traced to the manufacturing plant The recalled products have been sold at retailers nationwide in Canada according to the recall notice posted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Smucker Foods of Canada Corp. is recalling the products following a recall in the United States by the J.M The recalled products were produced in the company’s Lexington No illnesses have been confirmed in Canada as of the posting of the recall notice today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that 14 people across 12 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Senftenberg There is great concern that consumers may have unused portions of the implicated peanut butter in their homes. To view photographs of the products subject to recall in Canada, click here Consumers can use the following label information to determine whether they have the recalled peanut butter If consumers have products matching the above description in their possession Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms they may still spread the infections to others Peanut butter linked to a Salmonella outbreak in the United States has also been recalled in the United Kingdom and other countries JDM Distributors recalled Jif Creamy Peanut Butter and Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter 453-grams The creamy version has batch code 1343006 and best before Dec 2023 while the extra crunchy type has batch code 1296425 and best before date Oct The Food Standards Agency in the UK advised anyone who had bought the  products not to eat them they should be returned to the place of purchase for a refund There have been no reports of related illnesses in the UK potentially contaminated products were imported by Rainbow Asset The firm has stopped sale and removed from shelves the affected products and initiated a voluntary recall It affects Jif Creamy Peanut Butter with dates of Nov 2024 and Creamy Peanut Butter Portion Control Cup with dates Oct shows peanut butter was also distributed to Canada Smucker has recalled multiple Jif brand peanut butter types Other firms have recalled food made with the peanut butter Sixteen people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Senftenberg from 12 states Sick people range from less than one to 85 years old (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.) The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve World Heritage partnerships for conservation Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development Our Partners Donate Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (Germany) is receiving applications for the Master’s programme in World Heritage Studies The international Master’s programme World Heritage Studies was developed around the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Its curriculum reflects diverse approaches to the concept of heritage such as the link between culture and nature Students will acquire knowledge and skills needed for the protection management and presentation of cultural and natural heritage sites The programme cooperates with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre in Paris as well as many other heritage organisations all over the world.  Characterised by cultural World Heritage Studies promotes and fosters a globally conscious environment where students come together to re-contextualize heritage for the next generation Through a belief that heritage can and should be understood and protected from a wide range of perspectives and combines academic research with practical training in four main fields: The study programme also includes two applied study projects and the Master’s thesis Our graduates work in a wide spectrum of professional fields: UNESCO Offices and National Commissions heritage organisations in the public and private sectors Master of Arts (M.A.) in World Heritage Studies www.tu-cottbus.de/whs www.facebook.com/WorldHeritageStudies - Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies or other study areas relevant to the curriculum (Humanities - Certificate of proficiency in English (TOEFL iBT min 6.5; Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English min grade B; Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English min Only regular administration fees (approximately 220 Euro/semester) Isa O Elegbede is presently affiliated with the Lagos State University and with many international and local NGOs IUCN/CEESP/TGER; he is also the president of Sayne Development Foundation and Executive director of Pearlrose Foundation He has received a fellowship grant from Ocean Frontier institute (OFI) in Canada and several international organisations in the past View all partners The ocean economy supports 90% of global trade and provides millions of jobs. It includes shipping, tourism and offshore energy valued at US$24 trillion sea grass and mangroves are worth US$6.9 trillion; trade and transport US$5.2 trillion; and coastline productivity and carbon absorption US$12.1 trillion Nigeria’s establishment of a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is a strategic move I believe the ministry will tap the country’s rich marine resources as an element of the national economic framework Nigeria’s coastline stretches for 420 nautical miles and covers an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles Its maritime interests span the Gulf of Guinea covering roughly 574,800 square nautical miles with a 2,874 nautical mile coastline Marine resources can be exploited to create jobs and transform Nigeria into a leader in sustainable marine activities. It will help diversify the country’s oil-based economy as well. Norway is an example of how this has been done successfully Nigeria hopes to generate over US$1.5 trillion annually from exploiting its marine resources Create an inclusive committee for effective collaboration among stakeholders and partners. The committee should include scientists, NGOs, youth and traditional communities. Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and the relevant federal government agencies should not be left out The committee should advance beyond the scope of the Expanded Committee on Sustainable Blue Economy in Nigeria inaugurated by the former president Muhammadu Buhari Integrate sustainability into policies and strategies Policies should prioritise sustainable marine resource use Strategies should focus on sustainable and ethical harvesting unemployed youths and women should be trained Improved programmes would foster sustainable practices and raise the sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product Sustain investment in ports, transport systems and storage facilities. The same should apply to research and technology. Aquaculture, offshore energy and marine biotechnology should be advanced to increase efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, remote coastal communities should have access to resilient and blue renewable energy sources and systems to enhance protection of coastal and ocean resources Oil is a key revenue source for the country. But it has led to major environmental problems. Harnessing the blue economy could be a game changer for Nigeria. First, it could create jobs and generate income from fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, shipping and renewable energy. Second, a blue economy could mitigate environmental damage as it enables the restoration of marine ecosystems. Unlike oil, fisheries are renewable. Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta has experienced severe environmental harm. A shift to greener energy supplies could make a massive difference. Third, it creates the opportunity to grow the tourism sector. Seychelles and Mauritius are examples of countries that earn foreign exchange from marine exports and tourism. Fourth, it could help attract investment to Nigeria’s marine infrastructure, fisheries and technology. Fifth, it could help decrease regional and social inequalities in coastal communities. Finally, investment in the blue economy could encourage marine biology, oceanography and marine technology research. This could, in turn, lead to global innovations. Despite competition from more experienced countries in the marine industry, the blue economy offers Nigeria significant potential. Strategic planning, global partnerships and investment can make it a reality. PowerReal-world laboratory | Hydrogen energy-storage pilot plant in Germany gets green light and €28m grantRefLau will be a reference project for the future conversion of fossil-fuel power stations to run on stored renewable energy but this kind of vacation is especially popular since 2020 Many Germans love travelling with their tent or in a camper van but the camping boom has reached unimagined heights in times of corona crisis According to the Caravanning Industry Association (CIVD) 54,439 camper vans and caravans were registered in Germany during the first half of 2020; that is as many as in the whole of 2016 Almost no other kind of vacation can be as corona-safe – as a result of the distance between visitors on the camping site staying in the open air and living in your own home But what does a camping vacation involve in these times of crisis It is mainly the spontaneity of camping that makes it an adventure but this year camping is impossible without a reservation Site operators can only use 50 to 70% of their pitches because of the pandemic tourists can look forward to relaxed stays with little bustle and lots of open space between themselves and neighbouring campers but of course campers also have to observe the rules If you simply pitch your tent in a German forest you risk receiving a fine of up to 500 euros or even more if you do so with a camper van Nevertheless, camping enthusiasts do not have to forego interesting camping locations in Germany. Adventurers will find temporary camping sites on the Pop-Up Camps website: for example on Lüneburg Heath or the Ferropolis peninsular an open-air museum with gigantic opencast mining equipment If you prefer something more traditional, your best bet is carrying out a search on the Pin Camp or Euro Campings website the most popular location for Germans to pitch their pop-up or frame tent is on the shores of Senftenberg Lake in Brandenburg campers can even enjoy the luxury of having their own lakeside sandy beach © www.deutschland.de You would like to receive regular information about Germany