Surveillance of Listeria monocytogenes in human and environmental specimens in Nova Scotia, 1974 to 1981.
We examined specimens for L. monocytogenes using the "cold enrichment" technique of Gray et al. (J. Bacteriol., 55: 471, 1948) and a nalidixic agar plate (Ann. Inst. Pasteur 111: 90, 1966). Between 1974 and May 1981, we isolated L. monocytogenes from four of 5,255 specimens (rectal, vaginal and placental swabs; blood; spinal fluid; semen; necropsy material) which came from eight human populations (neonates, children, adult men, and pregnant and nonpregnant women) and from 161 animals. Three of the isolated strains were type 1, and they came from a newborn born at 32 weeks' gestation, that child's mother, and another woman who had recently delivered. The fourth (type 4b) came from a newborn twin born at 36 1/2 weeks' gestation. In June through October 1981, in 529 specimens, we isolated L. monocytogenes type 1/2 from two of four larvae tested (four earwigs and five slugs were all negative) and from three of 27 samples of fresh chicken liver (however, 18 samples of coleslaw were negative). At the same time, we isolated L. monocytogenes (not yet typed) from a rectal swab from one of 112 dogs examined. Rectal swabs from 107 cats were negative, as were vaginal swabs from 144 women and urine samples from 108 newborns.
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004285:Dogs; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000145:classification*; D008297:Male; D009674:Nova Scotia; D010920:Placenta / Q000382:microbiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology; D012661:Semen / Q000382:microbiology; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology