title: Low prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in cull sows and pork.
abstract: The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in sows slaughtered at a single Midwestern plant on two occasions (trial 1, n = 179 sows; trial 2, n = 160 sows). Fecal samples collected antemortem (trial 1) as well as animal tissues, and carcass swabs collected at the abattoir (trials 1 and 2) were analyzed. Eight isolates of L. monocytogenes were recovered from five samples that represented 0.18% of the total samples (n = 2,775). In trial 1, L. monocytogenes was detected in a tonsil sample (0.6%; 1 positive of 181 tonsils), in a carcass (0.6%; 1 positive of 179 carcasses), which was sampled prior to the organic rinse, and in two chopped meat block samples (1.2%; 2 positive of 165 samples). In trial 2, L. monocytogenes was only detected in a single chopped meat block sample (0.15%; 1 positive of 688 total samples). These data indicate the low prevalence of L. monocytogenes in the cull sow.
authors.affiliation: US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa 50010, USA. irene.wesley@ars.usda.gov
authors.forename: Irene V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Wesley
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: H Scott
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Hurd
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: McKean
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Ramakrishna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nannapaneni
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Martino
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology