For example, a case-control study of sporadic infections enabled an unprecedented response time during the large U.S. listeriosis outbreak in 2011. Data collected by the Listeria Initiative led to the identification of an association with cantaloupe within days rather than weeks or months (CDC, 2011a). We estimate that the commercial recall of the implicated cantaloupe just 12 days from outbrea...

This study was undertaken to determine the quality of packaged fresh cut cantaloupe subjected to transport vibration after treating with various anti-browning agents. Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo) pieces were dipped in two anti-browning solutions: Treat­ ment-A (2% ascorbic acid + 1% calcium chloride + 0.5% citric acid) and Treatment-B (3% NatureSealTM) for 2 minutes and packaged in bio-based clams...

Recent studies demonstrated that ultraviolet (UV) radiation enhanced terpenoids and decreased esters in thin-sliced cantaloupe. In preliminary studies treating fresh juices with UV, terpenoid compounds that normally were not isolated, or found in minute quantities, were elevated and only low molecular weight alcohols, ketones, and aldehydes decreased. Subsequently terpenoid induction/oxidation ...

An outbreak of Salmonella serogroup Saphra (S. saphra) infections was studied by laboratory-based surveillance, case-control and trace-back studies, and a survey of cantaloupe preparation practices. Twenty-four patients with S. saphra infections had illness onsets between 23 February and 15 May 1997; 75% were </=6 years old; 23% were hospitalized. Case patients were more likely than controls to...

Listeria monocytogenes has been extensively studied as a model facultative intracellular pathogen. While the roles of major virulence factors in host-pathogen interactions have been extensively characterized, recent work suggests that some of these factors can also contribute to environmental proliferation of this pathogen. In this study, we characterized two non-hemolytic transposon mutants of...

We combined two protein-marking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with a predator gut content ELISA to monitor the movement and feeding activity of commercially-purchased Hippodamia convergens Guèrin-Mèneville (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) under realistic field conditions during two field seasons in central Arizona. The proteinmarking ELISAs were used to differentiate released H. converg...

Fresh-cut cantaloupe is particularly susceptible to contamination with pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, development of rapid, yet accurate detection techniques is necessary to ensure food safety. In this study, a multiplex PCR system and propidium monoazide (PMA) concentration were optimized to detect all viable...

A viruses and silverleaf whitefly can completely devastate cantaloupe crops, causing serious economic losses to growers. The California Melon Research Advisory Board (2003) lists the management and control of aphid-borne viruses and whitefly as a top pest-management research priority. At the UC Kearney Research and Extension Center (KREC), we studied the use of reflective plastic mulch and stra...