Incidence of Listeria spp. in Breton live shellfish.
Live shellfish samples (120) were collected from nine littoral sites in Brittany (western France). They were screened for Listeria spp. and a count of faecal coliforms was carried out. Analysis of the results revealed Listeria spp. in 55% of samples, a much higher rate than the previous, infrequent, recorded data. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the frequency of Listeria spp. in winter was more important than in summer (P < 0.001), and underlined a significant relationship between the occurrence of these bacteria and the concentration of faecal coliforms (P < 0.001). Finally, comparison of the official and Gen-Probe methods revealed the limits of the standardized technique in the search for L. monocytogenes in shellfish.
Monfort
P
P
IFREMER, Concarneau, Faculté de Pharmacie, IFREMER U.R.M. 10, Rennes, France.
Minet
J
J
Rocourt
J
J
Piclet
G
G
Cormier
M
M
D015994:Incidence; D008087:Listeria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012758:Shellfish / Q000382:microbiology*