TY - JOUR
T1 - Insights into the mechanisms of Cronobacter sakazakii virulence
AU - Phair, Katie
AU - Pereira, Sónia Gonçalves
AU - Kealey, Carmel
AU - Fanning, Séamus
AU - Brady, Damien B.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - Cronobacter species have adapted to survive harsh conditions, particularly in the food manufacture environment, and can cause life-threatening infections in susceptible hosts. These opportunistic pathogens employ a multitude of mechanisms to aid their virulence throughout three key stages: environmental persistence, infection strategy, and systemic persistence in the human host. Environmental persistence is aided by the formation of biofilms, development of subpopulations, and high tolerance to environmental stressors. Successful infection in the human host involves several mechanisms such as protein secretion, motility, quorum sensing, colonisation, and translocation. Survival inside the host is achieved via competitive acquisition and utilization of minerals and metabolites respectively, coupled with host immune system evasion and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mechanisms. Across the globe, Cronobacter sakazakii is associated with often fatal systemic infections in populations including neonates, infants, the elderly and the immunocompromised. By providing insight into the mechanisms of virulence utilised by this pathogen across these three stages, this review identifies current gaps in the literature. Further research into these virulence mechanisms is required to inform novel mitigation measures to improve global food safety with regards to this food-borne pathogen.
AB - Cronobacter species have adapted to survive harsh conditions, particularly in the food manufacture environment, and can cause life-threatening infections in susceptible hosts. These opportunistic pathogens employ a multitude of mechanisms to aid their virulence throughout three key stages: environmental persistence, infection strategy, and systemic persistence in the human host. Environmental persistence is aided by the formation of biofilms, development of subpopulations, and high tolerance to environmental stressors. Successful infection in the human host involves several mechanisms such as protein secretion, motility, quorum sensing, colonisation, and translocation. Survival inside the host is achieved via competitive acquisition and utilization of minerals and metabolites respectively, coupled with host immune system evasion and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mechanisms. Across the globe, Cronobacter sakazakii is associated with often fatal systemic infections in populations including neonates, infants, the elderly and the immunocompromised. By providing insight into the mechanisms of virulence utilised by this pathogen across these three stages, this review identifies current gaps in the literature. Further research into these virulence mechanisms is required to inform novel mitigation measures to improve global food safety with regards to this food-borne pathogen.
KW - Cronobacter sakazakii
KW - Environmental persistence
KW - Pathogenesis
KW - Systemic infection
KW - Virulence mechanisms
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132544638&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105643
DO - 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105643
M3 - Article
C2 - 35716925
AN - SCOPUS:85132544638
SN - 0882-4010
VL - 169
JO - Microbial Pathogenesis
JF - Microbial Pathogenesis
M1 - 105643
ER -