Listeria species in domestic environments.
Using a direct isolation method Listeria spp. were detected in 101 (47.4%) of 213 houses investigated. L. monocytogenes was present in 45 houses (21.1%). Listeria spp. occurred at all sampling sites. Dish-cloths (37%) and surface samples round the drain in the bathroom (27.2%) were most frequently contaminated. Highest numbers (c. 10(4) c.f.u./object) were found in dish-cloths and washing-up brushes. Lower levels (up to 10(3) c.f.u./object) were obtained from kitchen sinks, refrigerator vegetable compartment samples and tooth brushes. In total, 132 isolations of Listeria spp. were made from 871 samples. L. innocua (53%) and L. monocytogenes (41%) were the predominant species in the positive samples. Other Listeria spp. were found in only 6% of the positive samples.
Beumer
R R
RR
Agricultural University, Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
te Giffel
M C
MC
Spoorenberg
E
E
Rombouts
F M
FM
D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D006794:Household Articles; D006801:Humans; D008087:Listeria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009426:Netherlands; D011897:Random Allocation