The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the number
of cases of foodborne illness that have been traced to the consumption of fresh
produce in the United States. While various hypotheses have been put forward to
account for this increase, at the end of the day we do not have a
scientifically sound explanation for why this has happened. In part this simply
reflects the fact that we have a relatively poor understanding of the
interactions that take place between plants and bacterial species that have not
been characterized as pathogenic to the plant. Human pathogenic bacteria have
largely been considered to be passive passengers when found on fresh produce,
introduced through poor sanitary practices or the presence of wild animals.
While there is ample evidence in the literature that human pathogens are able
to enter the internal parts of plants where they continue to grow and divide,
the view of these pathogens as transient passengers persists. Our research
currently focuses on the bacterial community associated with fresh produce with
a particular emphasis on how human pathogens can enter that community.