title: Molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of Spanish animal and human Listeria monocytogenes isolates.
abstract: A total of 153 strains of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from different sources (72 from sheep, 12 from cattle, 18 from feedstuffs, and 51 from humans) in Spain from 1989 to 2000 were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The strains of L. monocytogenes displayed 55 pulsotypes. The 84 animal, 51 human, and 18 feedstuff strains displayed 31, 29, and 7 different pulsotypes, respectively, indicating a great genetic diversity among the Spanish L. monocytogenes isolates studied. L. monocytogenes isolates from clinical samples and feedstuffs consumed by the diseased animals were analyzed in 21 flocks. In most cases, clinical strains from different animals of the same flock had identical pulsotypes, confirming the existence of a listeriosis outbreak. L. monocytogenes strains with pulsotypes identical to those of clinical strains were isolated from silage, potatoes, and maize stalks. This is the first study wherein potatoes and maize stalks are epidemiologically linked with clinical listeriosis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal (Patología Animal I), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Vela
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Garayzabal
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Latre
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de La Fuente
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cepeda
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rodriguez Moure
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dominguez
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D006801:Humans; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial