title: PFGE analysis of Listeria monocytogenes isolates of clinical, animal, food and environmental origin from Ireland.
abstract: Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne human pathogen. Human infection is associated with high mortality rates. Epidemiological investigation and molecular subtyping can be useful in linking human illness with specific sources of infection. This retrospective study describes the use of PFGE to examine relationships of 222 isolates from human and non-human sources in Ireland. Human clinical isolates from other countries were also examined. Eight small clusters of human and non-human isolates (mostly serotype 4b) that were indistinguishable from one another were detected, suggesting potential sources for human infection. For non-human isolates, some PFGE types appeared to be exclusively associated with a single source, whereas other PFGE-types appeared to be more widely disseminated. Indistinguishable, or highly related clusters of isolates of Irish and non-Irish origin suggest that some PFGE patterns may be globally distributed.
authors: Veterinary Sciences Centre, School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.|Teagasc, Moorepark Food Reaserch Centre, Cork, Ireland.
authors: Edward M
authors: EM
authors: Fox
authors: School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
authors: Niall
authors: N
authors: deLappe
authors: Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Garvey
authors: Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: McKeown
authors: School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Cormican
authors: Veterinary Sciences Centre, School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
authors: Nola
authors: N
authors: Leonard
authors: Teagasc, Moorepark Food Reaserch Centre, Cork, Ireland.
authors: Kieran
authors: K
authors: Jordan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D011200:Poultry; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors