Prevention of A Deadly Public Health Problem Photo Source: Tayo Wright-Hentz Environmental Health January 17, 2010

Audience  General- Any one who consumes food. Stakeholders  Restaurant Owners/ Managers  Public Health Officials  Dietary Managers  Farmers  Meat processors  Food Handlers Photo Source: mikroobsed_toiduhaigused/images/List eria%20monocytogenes.jpg

 The Origin of Listeria (Listeriosis).  The definition of Listeria (Listeriosis).  The incidence of Listeria (Listeriosis) and at risk people.  The signs/symptoms that indicate Listeriosis.  The food that have the potential to carry Listeria.  How to prevent, detect and cure Listeriosis.  Know the agencies that test for Listeria.

 Listeria and listeriosis were named in honor of Dr. Joseph Lister (1827 ‐ 1912)the English surgeon who introduced the principals of antisepsis to standard surgical procedures and, thus, greatly reduced postoperative deaths. His principals of antiseptic surgery are practiced worldwide to this day. Before Lister, a patient was as likely to die from post ‐ op infection as from whatever the surgery was meant to remedy in the first place. Source: Wiedmann, Martin, Food borne illness information center, Photo Source:

LISTERIA IS A BACTERIAL GENUS CONTAINING 6 SPECIES; TWO BEING PATHOGENIC AND FOUR NON PATHOGENIC NAMED: Non Pathogenic  Listeria grayi- non pathogenic bacterium found in the feces of chinchillas.  Listeria Innocua – non pathogenic bacterium widely found in the enviroment (like in soil) and other food sources.  Listeria Seeligeri- a non- pathogenic bacterium, only resembles other Listeria bacteria and has different qualities than others.  Listeria Welshimeri- non pathogenic bacterium found in decaying plants, water, and dust. Pathogenic  Listeria Ivanovii- A pathogenic bacterium of ruminants this species can infect mice, rarely the cause of human disease.  Listeria Monocytogenes- pathogenic bacterium found everywhere soil, stream water, sewage, plants and food. This species is responsible for Listeriosis, a rare but lethal food borne infection. Sources : Centers for Disease Control, Photo Source:

 Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria Monocytogenes such as vegetables, meats, and unpasteurized dairy products.  Listeriosis has recently been recognized as an important public health problem in the U.S.  Source: Photo: content/uploads/milk-cheese-eggs-220.jpgww.cdc.gov/print.do?url=http%3A// content/uploads/milk-cheese-eggs-220.jpg

This disease primarily affects:  The elderly  Pregnant Women- One third of cases happen in pregnancy  Newborns- Suffer serious effects of infection in pregnancy  Persons with weakened immune systems- People with AIDS, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease and who take glucocorticosteriod medications. People without these risk factors can be rarely affected. Source: Photo source: pregnant-woman.jpg, source: pregnant-woman.jpghttp://

Some symptoms of Listeriosis include:  Fever  Muscle Aches  Gastrointestinal Problems: Nausea & Diarrhea If Listeriosis spreads to the nervous system, it can cause:  Headache  Confusion  Loss of Balance If left untreated, Listeriosis can cause:  Meningitis- Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.  Sepsis- Sepsis is a severe illness in which the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria.  Death Source: Photo Source:

 In the U.S., an estimated 2500 persons become seriously ill with Listeriosis; of these 500 die!  Listeriosis causes death in 20% of people who contract it.  Listeriosis has a mortality rate of 25% in comparison with Salmonella mortality rate of 1%. Source: Photo Source:

LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES IS FOUND IN SOIL AND WATER. Fruits and Vegetables  Can become contaminated by the soil.  Can become contaminated by the manure used to fertilize the soil. Animals  Can carry the bacterium without appearing ill.  Can contaminate foods of animal origin such as meats and dairy products. Source: M.S. Chae & H. Schraft, 2000, Comparative evaluation of adhesion and biofilm formation of different Listeria monocytogenes strains. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 62:

THE BACTERIUM IS FOUND IN A VARIETY OF RAW FOODS : THE BACTERIUM HAS ALSO BEEN FOUND IN PROCESSED FOODS:  Uncooked/ Undercooked Meats  Uncooked Vegetables  Unpasteurized milk  Products made from unpasteurized milk.  Soft cheeses  Cold cut meats  Ready to eat hot dogs Source: 3A// d/disease_listing/listerosis. Photo Source: webster.com/images/food- kitchen/food/dairy-products/soft- cheeses.jpgww.cdc.gov/print.do?url=http% 3A// d/disease_listing/listerosis

 Effectively sanitize all food contact surfaces.  Keep refrigerated foods under four degrees Celsius.  Thoroughly cook all meats  Wash all raw fruits & vegetables  Keep meats separate from vegetables and from cooked ready to eat foods  Avoid unpasteurized dairy foods  Wash knives, hand, and cutting boards after handling uncooked foods  Consume perishable and ready to eat foods as soon as possible. For Healthy People: Source: Department of Health and Human Services, Listeria Facts; Surface cleaning

 Do not eat hot dogs, lunch meats, and or deli meats unless they are steaming hot.  Avoid getting any juices from packaged meat containers on other foods, utensils, surfaces, and hands.  Do not eat refrigerated meat spreads.  Do not eat smoked seafood.  Do not eat soft cheeses. For People at Risk ( In Addition to previous recommendations): Source: Department of Health and Human Services, ase_listing/listerosis.ww.cdc.gov/print.do?url=http%3A// ase_listing/listerosis

 Intralytix- A pesticide like spray that kills all six species of Listeria; but, it is still in testing phases.  The EBI Food Safety has created a similar product called LISTEX P100. Both of these treatments are similar in that they use bacteriophages to kill Listeria. Source: Food and Drug Administration, The Bad Bug Handbook

 Most healthy people do not contract Listeriosis even after eating contaminated foods.  Even if in a high risk group, there is no risk unless you develop a high fever or serious illness after consuming contaminated foods. If these symptoms develop, please contact your physician.  A blood or spinal fluid test are the only ways to test for Listeriosis. Source: FDA, The Bad Bug Book, 2005

Prevention is first defense in protection against Listeriosis; however, there Antibiotics that fight the Bacteria like:  Ampicillin  Vancomycin  Ciprofloxacin  Linezoild  Azithromycin Source: Center for Disease Control Photo source : es/photo/drugs.jpg

 The Food and Drug Administration  The CDC  The U.S. Department of Agriculture  The Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID)- a division of the CDC. Photo Source: FDA.gov, CDC.gov, and USDA.gov

 What is Listeria (listeriosis) ?  Who is most at risk for Listeriosis?  What the symptoms of Listeriosis are?  How it can be prevented?  How it can be detected?  How it can be treated?  Can listeriosis be cured?  What the government is doing to aid in the fight against this deadly food borne illness?

For more reading:  Disease Listing: Listeriosis General Information. Centers for Disease Control Disease Listing: Listeriosis General Information. Centers for Disease Control  "More About Listeria". University of Florida Medical School. Retrieved "More About Listeria"  "Today's Online Textbook of Bacteriology". Listeria monocytogenes and Listeriosis. Kenneth Todar University of Wisconsin- Madison Department of Biology Retrieved "Today's Online Textbook of Bacteriology"  "Statistics about Salmonella food poisoning". WrongDiagnosis.com. 27 February Retrieved "Statistics about Salmonella food poisoning"  Tinley, L.G. et al. (1989). "Actin Filaments and the Growth, Movement, and Spread of the Intracellular Bacterial Parasite, Listeria monocytogenes ". The Journal of Cell Biology 109 (4 Pt 1): 1597–1608. doi: /jcb PMID PMC "Actin Filaments and the Growth, Movement, and Spread of the Intracellular Bacterial Parasite, Listeria monocytogenes "doi /jcb PMID PMC  "Listeria". MicrobeWiki.Kenyon.edu. 16 August doi:.. Retrieved "Listeria"doi.  Laine RO, Phaneuf KL, Cunningham CC, Kwiatkowski D, Azuma T, Southwick FS (1 August 1998). "Gelsolin, a protein that caps the barbed ends and severs actin filaments, enhances the actin-based motility of Listeria monocytogenes in host cells". Infect. Immun. 66 (8): 3775–82. PMID PMC "Gelsolin, a protein that caps the barbed ends and severs actin filaments, enhances the actin-based motility of Listeria monocytogenes in host cells"PMID PMC108414http://iai.asm.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=  Galbraith CG, Yamada KM, Galbraith JA (February 2007). "Polymerizing actin fibers position integrins primed to probe for adhesion sites". Science 315 (5814): 992–5. doi: /science PMID "Polymerizing actin fibers position integrins primed to probe for adhesion sites"doi /science PMID  Center for Science in the Public Interest - Nutrition Action Healthletter - Food Safety Guide - Meet the BugsCenter for Science in the Public InterestNutrition Action Healthletter - Food Safety Guide - Meet the Bugs  "Maple Leaf Foods assessing Listeria-killing chemical". ctv.ca (ctvglobemedia) Retrieved "Maple Leaf Foods assessing Listeria-killing chemical"  Greenemeier L (May 21, 2008). "Recruiting a Dangerous Foe to Fight Cancer and HIV"]. Scientific American. "Recruiting a Dangerous Foe to Fight Cancer and HIV  Associated Press - Viruses Approved for Treating FoodAssociated PressViruses Approved for Treating Food  Food Quality News - Phage product found effective against ListeriaPhage product found effective against Listeria

Centers for Disease Control. (2009). Listeriosis: Disease Listing. Retrieved on January 10,2010 from Chae, M.S., Schraft, H. (2000). Comparative evaluation of adhesion and biofilm formation of different Listeria monocytogenes strains. International Journal of Food Microbiology. Volume 62: Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). (2010). Listeria and Listeriosis. Retrieved on December 31, 2009 from Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (2009). Food borne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook: The Bad Bug Fact Book. Retrieved on January 10, 2010 from sheetwww.fda.gov/listeria Wiedmann, Martin. (2001). Investigating The Deadliest of All Food borne Bacteria. Food Borne Illness Education Center. Retrieved on December 21, 2009 from United States Department of Agriculture (2010). Food Protection. Listeria and Salmonella. Retrieved on January 19, 2010 from Photo Sources:               and