Listeria Species in Broiler Poultry Farms: Potential Public Health Hazards.
Broiler meat production worldwide has been plagued by lethal food-poisoning bacteria diseases, including listeriosis. A fatality rate of 15.6% was recorded in human beings in the EU in 2015. During 2013, a total of 200 poultry farm samples, including litter, chicken breast, farm feed, and drinking water, were collected to generate baseline data for the characterization of the genus Listeria in broiler poultry farms. Listeria spp. were detected in a total of 95 (47.5%) poultry farm samples. The isolates of Listeria spp. included L. innocua (28.5%), L. ivanovii (12.5%), L. welshimeri (4.5%), and L. monocytogenes and L. seeligeri (1% each). Listeria spp. contamination rates were higher in farm feed (70%), followed by litter (52.5%), chicken breasts (42.2%), and drinking water (10%). Almost all Listeria spp. isolates were resistant to more than three classes of antibiotics (multidrug resistant). Besides this, we observed a significant resistance level to penicillin and fluoroquinolone drugs. However, lower resistance levels were recorded for broad-spectrum cephalosporins. The inlA, inlC, and inlJ virulence genes were detected in almost all of the L. monocytogenes isolates. Thus, food safety management approaches and interventions at all stages of the broiler rearing cycle were needed to control cross-contamination and the zoonotic potential of listeriosis.
Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt.
Hesham
H
Dahshan
Department of Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt.
Abdallah Mohamed Amin
AM
Merwad
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt.
Taisir Saber
TS
Mohamed
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D000072480:Farms; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008087:Listeria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011634:Public Health; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
Listeria spp.; Poultry farm; antibiotic resistance; health hazards; virulence genes