Listeria monocytogenes in the Irish Dairy Farm Environment

Fox, Edward M.; O'Mahony, Tom; Clancy, Marie; Dempsey, Rita; O'Brien, Martina; Jordan, Kieran

doi:10.4315/0362-028x-72.7.1450

Cited by 102 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Eight of the 43 isolates were from pregnant women, four were from neonates and the remaining 31 isolates were from non-pregnancy-associated adult cases, representing 62, 67 and 56 % of total Irish cases, respectively, over the period of 2004-2009. Species-level identification and serotyping. Presumptive-positive L. monocytogenes isolates were confirmed using biochemical testing as described in the international standard isolation protocols used (McClain & Lee, 1988; United States Department of Agriculture, 2008), or by real-time PCR as described by Fox et al (2009). Serotyping was performed using a combination of commercially available antisera (Denka Seiken), multiplex serotyping PCR (Doumith et al, 2004) and/or ELISA (Palumbo et al, 2003).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

PFGE analysis of Listeria monocytogenes isolates of clinical, animal, food and environmental origin from Ireland

Fox

DeLappe

Garvey

et al. 2012

Journal of Medical Microbiology

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

PFGE analysis of Listeria monocytogenes isolates of clinical, animal, food and environmental origin from Ireland

Fox

DeLappe

Garvey

et al. 2012

Journal of Medical Microbiology

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“…In dairy farms, the principal places where Listeria can be found are soil, water and forage (Sauders & Wiedmann, 2007). Fox et al (2009) determined the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in the dairy farm environment, and particularly in milking facilities, showing a relatively high prevalence (19%) of L. monocytogenes in 298 environmental samples from 16 farms in Ireland. They also detected a correlation between the level of hygiene standards on the farm and the occurrence of the pathogen in the environment (water, soil, silage, cow faeces, milk, etc.…”

Section: Listeria Monocytogenes In the Dairy Farm Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some specific subtypes of L. monocytogenes can also persist for extended periods in many different food processing environments , including dairy food processing plants (Vazquez-Villanueva et al, 2010;Latorre et al, 2011). In the dairy plant, Listeria can persist in a variety of sites, although it is most frequently found in moist environments or areas with condensed or standing water or milk, including drains, floors, coolers, conveyors and case washing areas (Arimi et al, 1997;Ho et al, 2007b;Fox et al, 2009).…”

Section: Processing Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review. Dairy farm management and production practices associated with the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk and beef

Santorum

Garcia

López-Alonso

et al. 2012

Span. j. agric. res.

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Human listeriosis is a severe foodborne disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes. It is a zoonosis that represents a significant concern for the food industry due to the high mortality rate it causes and the fact that the organism is capable of growing at refrigeration temperatures. Dairy products and ready-to-eat meats are among the foods most often involved in listeriosis outbreaks. Listeria is a common contaminant in the dairy environment, both on the farm and in the processing plant. The main sources of L. monocytogenes in dairy farms are manure and improperly fermented silage. If silage crops are grown on contaminated land, a new cycle of silage contamination and faecal shedding by ruminants that consume such silage may ensue. High loads of L. monocytogenes produced in farm environments may thus represent a primary source for the introduction of this pathogen into the human food supply chain; dairy cows would represent a reservoir for the bacterium, and raw milk and beef would represent the main vehicles for its transmission from dairy farms to humans. Even if contamination originates in post-processing environments, contaminated raw foods may still represent a vehicle for introducing L. monocytogenes into food processing plants. Molecular typing methods have confirmed that common strains of L. monocytogenes are present in dairy farm-associated isolates and isolates from both human epidemic and sporadic cases. Pre-harvest (on-farm) control of listeriosis should be based mainly on the control of manure, silage, herd health and milking practices.Additional key words: animal reservoir; dairy primary production; environmental sources; food vehicles; listeriosis. ResumenRevisión. Tipos de gestión y producción de las granjas de ganado vacuno lechero relacionados con la presencia de Listeria monocytogenes en la leche y la carne La listeriosis humana es una grave enfermedad transmitida por alimentos y causada por Listeria monocytogenes. Se trata de una zoonosis que supone una gran preocupación para la industria alimentaria debido a su alta tasa de mortalidad y al hecho de que el microorganismo es capaz de crecer a temperaturas de refrigeración. Listeria es un contaminante habitual en las granjas y plantas de productos lácteos. En las granjas las fuentes principales de L. monocytogenes son el estiércol y los ensilados mal fermentados. Si la cosecha utilizada para producir ensilados procede de campos contaminados, puede comenzar un nuevo ciclo de contaminación de los ensilados y liberación del patógeno en las heces de los animales. El ganado vacuno lechero representa uno de los principales reservorios de este microorganismo y la leche y la carne representarían los principales vehículos para su transmisión desde la granja de producción de leche al ser humano. Incluso cuando la contaminación del alimento procede de etapas posteriores al procesado, los alimentos crudos contaminados también representan uno de los vehículos de entrada de L. monocytogenes en las plan-

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“…L. monocytogenes has been isolated from a variety of environmental sources, e.g., water, soil, silage, vegetation, and food processing plants (3,17,18,23,29,42). A number of studies have reported a high prevalence of L. monocytogenes in dairy farm environments (5,19,21,33,55). In addition, a previous study has found a considerably higher prevalence of L. monocytogenes in dairy farm environments than in urban and natural environments (45).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Silage Collected from Dairy Farms Harbors an Abundance of Listeriaphages with Considerable Host Range and Genome Size Diversity

Vongkamjan

Switt

Bakker

et al. 2012

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Since the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is common in dairy farm environments, it is likely that phages infecting this bacterium ("listeriaphages") are abundant on dairy farms. To better understand the ecology and diversity of listeriaphages on dairy farms and to develop a diverse phage collection for further studies, silage samples collected on two dairy farms were screened for L. monocytogenes and listeriaphages. While only 4.5% of silage samples tested positive for L. monocytogenes, 47.8% of samples were positive for listeriaphages, containing up to >1.5 ؋ 10 4 PFU/g. Host range characterization of the 114 phage isolates obtained, with a reference set of 13 L. monocytogenes strains representing the nine major serotypes and four lineages, revealed considerable host range diversity; phage isolates were classified into nine lysis groups. While one serotype 3c strain was not lysed by any phage isolates, serotype 4 strains were highly susceptible to phages and were lysed by 63.2 to 88.6% of phages tested. Overall, 12.3% of phage isolates showed a narrow host range (lysing 1 to 5 strains), while 28.9% of phages represented broad host range (lysing >11 strains). Genome sizes of the phage isolates were estimated to range from approximately 26 to 140 kb. The extensive host range and genomic diversity of phages observed here suggest an important role of phages in the ecology of L. monocytogenes on dairy farms. In addition, the phage collection developed here has the potential to facilitate further development of phage-based biocontrol strategies (e.g., in silage) and other phage-based tools. Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive pathogenic bacterium that can cause a severe food-borne disease, listeriosis, in humans and farm ruminants. L. monocytogenes has been isolated from a variety of environmental sources, e.g., water, soil, silage, vegetation, and food processing plants (3,17,18,23,29,42). A number of studies have reported a high prevalence of L. monocytogenes in dairy farm environments (5,19,21,33,55). In addition, a previous study has found a considerably higher prevalence of L. monocytogenes in dairy farm environments than in urban and natural environments (45). Ruminants, including cattle, sheep, and goats, are not only often fecal shedders of L. monocytogenes but are also hosts in which L. monocytogenes can cause a severe disease (41). Silage (i.e., fermented plant material that is commonly used as feed for ruminants), if spoiled or improperly fermented, has often been found to contain L. monocytogenes (1,20), including at high numbers (Ͼ10 7 CFU/g silage) (61). Spoiled silage has also been reported to be the most important source of L. monocytogenes responsible for listeriosis cases and outbreaks in ruminants (5, 20). The high prevalence of L. monocytogenes on dairy farms and particularly in silage not only suggests that these environments may represent a major reservoir for L. monocytogenes (34) but also suggests that silage may be a superior source for listeriaphage isolation.Bacteriophages ...

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Listeria monocytogenes in the Irish Dairy Farm Environment

Cited by 102 publications

References 31 publications

PFGE analysis of Listeria monocytogenes isolates of clinical, animal, food and environmental origin from Ireland

PFGE analysis of Listeria monocytogenes isolates of clinical, animal, food and environmental origin from Ireland

Review. Dairy farm management and production practices associated with the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk and beef

Silage Collected from Dairy Farms Harbors an Abundance of Listeriaphages with Considerable Host Range and Genome Size Diversity

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