The development of a faradic impedimetric immunosensor for the detection of S. typhimurium in milk is described for first time. Polyclonal anti-Salmonella was cross-linked, in the presence of glutaraldehyde, on gold electrodes modified with a single 11-amino-1-undecanethiol (MUAM) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) or a mixed SAM of MUAM and 6-mercapto-1-hexanol at a constant 1 + 3 proportion, respectively. The mixed SAM was also deposited in the presence of triethylamine, which was used to prevent the formation of interplane hydrogen bonds among amine-terminated thiols. The effect of the different surface modifications on both the sensitivity and the selectivity of the immunosensors was investigated. The alteration of the interfacial features of the electrodes due to different modification or recognition steps, was measured by faradic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in the presence of a hexacyanoferrate(II)/(III) redox couple. A substantial amplification of the measuring signal was achieved by performing the immunoreaction directly in culture samples. This resulted in immunosensors with great analytical features, as follows: (i) high sensitivity; the response of the immunosensors increases with respect to the detection time as a consequence of the simultaneous proliferation of the viable bacteria cells in the tested samples; (ii) validity; the response of the immunosensors is practically insensitive to the presence of dead cells; (iii) working simplicity; elimination of various centrifugation and washing steps, which are used for the isolation of bacteria cells from the culture. The proposed immunosensors were successfully used for the detection of S. typhimurium in experimentally inoculated milk samples. The effect of different postblocking agents on the performance of the immunosensors in real samples was also examined.

Despite a European co-financial programme for control and eradication of brucellosis in Southern Europe, there is evidence that foci of brucellosis still exists in Greece and other Southern European countries. Human brucellosis cases are probably underreported in these countries. A local surveillance system was implemented in a defined region of Northwestern Greece, in order to record and study all human brucellosis cases, using several sources of retrieval. A total of 152 newly diagnosed cases were recorded during a 2-year study period (from 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2004). The age- and sex-adjusted mean annual incidence rate for the population of the study area was 17.3 cases/10(5) inhabitants. Incomplete application of the control and eradication programme in livestock, and the possible illegal trafficking of animals and their products across the Greek-Albanian border could be responsible for the persistence of foci of brucellosis in the area.

An outbreak of gastro-enteritis occurred in a community of 2213 persons located near the city of Ioannina, in North-western Greece. Two hundreds and eighty-eight inhabitants of the village of Eleoussa, suffered from gastro-enteritis between 11 and 22 October. The peak of the epidemic occurred during the first 3 days (11-13 October). The highest risk of developing gastro-enteritis was observed in the age group 0-14 years (41.4%) and decreased significantly with age (P < 0.01). Patients over 65 years were more frequently hospitalized than those in other age groups (P < 0.05). Shigella sonnei was isolated from both, water samples and faeces of patients. Control measures were implemented on the second day of the outbreak. Environmental conditions suggest that contaminationof the water system occurred by groundwater.

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