DFG Trilateral collaboration Deutschland-Israel-Palestine: Nematodes as potential vectors for human pathogens

在工业化国家和发展中国家，与食用新鲜或部分加工的农产品有关的食源性疾病暴发日益受到关注。新鲜水果和蔬菜中人类病原体的发病率通常与在地表灌溉中使用回收废物以及在农业管理实践中使用大量动物粪便有关。因此，土壤动物在微生物的运输和传播中起着重要的作用。拟议项目的重点是线虫，这是众所周知的土壤中细菌和病毒的载体。主要目标是：(1)在以色列和巴勒斯坦当局使用循环废水灌溉或新鲜动物粪便施肥的农田中调查土壤中的人类病原体，以及自由生活和植物寄生线虫；(2)评估线虫作为媒介将细菌从微生物热点传播到植物的功能；(3)定位线虫表面和/或体内的细菌，并确定线虫宿主存活所需的细菌因子。了解线虫传播人类病原体的机制将有助于开发切实可行的方法，最大限度地减少新鲜农产品的污染，提高食品生产的安全性。

Outbreaks of foodborne illness linked to consumptions of fresh, or partially processed, agricultural products are a growing concern in industrialized and developing countries. The incidence of human pathogens on fresh fruits and vegetables is often related to the use of recycled wastewaster in surface irrigation as well as high amounts of animal manure in agricultural management practice. Thereby the soil inhabiting fauna plays an important role in the transport and dissemination of microorganisms. The focus of the proposed project is on nematodes, well known vectors for bacteria and viruses in soil. The major goals are to: (1) survey human pathogens in soil and on/in free-living and plant parasitic nematodes in agriculture field sites irrigated with recycled wastewater or fertilized with fresh animal manure in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, (2) assess the function of nematodes as vectors in transmitting bacteria from microbial hot spots to plants, and (3) localize bacteria on and/or within the nematode and identify bacterial factors required for survival in the nematode host. Understanding the mechanisms involved in dissemination of human pathogens by nematodes will enhance the ability to develop practical means to minimize contamination of fresh produce and increase safety in food production.