scholarly journals Small produce farm environments can harbor diverse Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria spp. populations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra M Belias ◽  
Laura K Strawn ◽  
Martin Wiedmann ◽  
Daniel Weller
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Spatial Scale ◽  
New York State ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Pond Water ◽  
Positive Sample ◽  
Small Spatial Scale ◽  
Pathogen Diversity ◽  
Produce Contamination

A comprehensive understanding of foodborne pathogen diversity in pre-harvest environments is necessary to effectively track pathogens on farms and identify sources of produce contamination. As such, this study aimed to characterize Listeria diversity in wildlife feces and agricultural water collected from a New York State produce farm over a growing season. Water samples were collected from a pond (N=80) and stream (N=52). Fecal samples (N=77) were opportunistically collected from areas <5m from the water sources; all samples were collected from a <0.5km2 area. Overall, 41% (86/209) and 24% (50/209) of samples were positive for Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria spp. (excluding L. monocytogenes), respectively. For each positive sample, one L. monocytogenes or Listeria spp. isolate was speciated by sequencing the sigB gene, which allowed for additional characterization based on the sigB allelic type (AT). The 86 L. monocytogenes and 50 Listeria spp. isolates represented 8 and 23 different ATs, respectively. A subset of L. monocytogenes isolates (N=44) from pond water and pond-adjacent feces (representing a ~5,000m2 area) were further characterized by PFGE; these 44 isolates represented 22 PFGE types, which is indicative of considerable diversity at a small spatial scale. Ten PFGE types were isolated more than once, suggesting persistence or re-introduction of PFGE types in this area. Given the small spatial scale, the prevalence of L. monocytogenes and Listeria spp., as well as the considerable diversity amongst isolates, suggests traceback investigations may be challenging. For example, traceback of finished product or processing facility contamination with specific subtypes to pre-harvest sources may require collection of large sample sets, and characterization of a considerable number of isolates. Our data also support the adage, “absence of evidence does not equal evidence of absence” applies to L. monocytogenes traceback efforts at the pre-harvest level.

scholarly journals Validation of a Previously Developed Geospatial Model That Predicts the Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in New York State Produce Fields

2015 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 797-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Weller ◽  
Suvash Shiwakoti ◽  
Peter Bergholz ◽  
Yrjo Grohn ◽  
Martin Wiedmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
New York State ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Risk Category ◽  
Content Type ◽  
York State ◽  
Impervious Cover ◽  
Production Environments

ABSTRACTTechnological advancements, particularly in the field of geographic information systems (GIS), have made it possible to predict the likelihood of foodborne pathogen contamination in produce production environments using geospatial models. Yet, few studies have examined the validity and robustness of such models. This study was performed to test and refine the rules associated with a previously developed geospatial model that predicts the prevalence ofListeria monocytogenesin produce farms in New York State (NYS). Produce fields for each of four enrolled produce farms were categorized into areas of high or low predictedL. monocytogenesprevalence using rules based on a field's available water storage (AWS) and its proximity to water, impervious cover, and pastures. Drag swabs (n= 1,056) were collected from plots assigned to each risk category. Logistic regression, which tested the ability of each rule to accurately predict the prevalence ofL. monocytogenes, validated the rules based on water and pasture. Samples collected near water (odds ratio [OR], 3.0) and pasture (OR, 2.9) showed a significantly increased likelihood ofL. monocytogenesisolation compared to that for samples collected far from water and pasture. Generalized linear mixed models identified additional land cover factors associated with an increased likelihood ofL. monocytogenesisolation, such as proximity to wetlands. These findings validated a subset of previously developed rules that predictL. monocytogenesprevalence in produce production environments. This suggests that GIS and geospatial models can be used to accurately predictL. monocytogenesprevalence on farms and can be used prospectively to minimize the risk of preharvest contamination of produce.

scholarly journals Complete Genome Sequences and Transmission Electron Micrographs of Listeria Phages of the Genus Homburgvirus

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (41) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren K. Hudson ◽  
Tracey L. Peters ◽  
Yaxiong Song ◽  
Thomas G. Denes
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Electron Micrographs ◽  
Complete Genome ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Transmission Electron Micrographs ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transmission Electron

Bacteriophages that infect the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes were previously isolated from New York dairy farms. The complete genome sequences for three of these Listeria phages, with genome sizes of 64.6 to 65.7 kb, are presented here. Listeria phages LP-010, LP-013, and LP-031-2 are siphoviruses that belong to the genus Homburgvirus.

scholarly journals Evolution and Molecular Phylogeny of Listeria monocytogenes Isolated from Human and Animal Listeriosis Cases and Foods

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (16) ◽  
pp. 5537-5551 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. K. Nightingale ◽  
K. Windham ◽  
M. Wiedmann
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Gene Transfer ◽  
Horizontal Gene Transfer ◽  
Positive Selection ◽  
New York State ◽  
Housekeeping Genes ◽  
Acid Sites ◽  
Food Samples ◽  
Phylogenetic Lineages

ABSTRACT To probe the evolution and phylogeny of Listeria monocytogenes from defined host species and environments, L. monocytogenes isolates from human (n = 60) and animal (n = 30) listeriosis cases and food samples (n = 30) were randomly selected from a larger collection of isolates (n = 354) obtained in New York State between 1999 and 2001. Partial sequencing of four housekeeping genes (gap, prs, purM, and ribC), one stress response gene (sigB), and two virulence genes (actA and inlA) revealed between 11 (gap) and 33 (inlA) allelic types as well as 52 sequence types (unique combination of allelic types). actA, ribC, and purM demonstrated the highest levels of nucleotide diversity (π > 0.05). actA and inlA as well as prs and the hypervariable housekeeping genes ribC and purM showed evidence of horizontal gene transfer and recombination. actA and inlA also showed evidence of positive selection at specific amino acid sites. Maximum likelihood phylogenies for all seven genes confirmed that L. monocytogenes contains two deeply separated evolutionary lineages. Lineage I was found to be highly clonal, while lineage II showed greater diversity and evidence of horizontal gene transfer. Allelic types were exclusive to lineages, except for a single gap allele, and nucleotide distance within lineages was much lower than that between lineages, suggesting that genetic exchange between lineages is rare. Our data show that (i) L. monocytogenes is a highly diverse species with at least two distinct phylogenetic lineages differing in their evolutionary history and population structure and (ii) horizontal gene transfer as well as positive selection contributed to the evolution of L. monocytogenes.

scholarly journals Erratum to: Spatially explicit uncertainty modeling of zoonotic pathogen distribution: a case of Listeria monocytogenes in New York State, USA

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-126
Author(s):  
Rita Mwima ◽  
Anthony Gidudu ◽  
Allan Mazimwe ◽  
Arika Ligmann-Zielinska ◽  
Samuel Majalija ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
New York State ◽  
Uncertainty Modeling ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Zoonotic Pathogen ◽  
York State

Low Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in Human Stool

2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
BRIAN D. SAUDERS ◽  
DAVID PETTIT ◽  
BRIAN CURRIE ◽  
PAUL SUITS ◽  
ANN EVANS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
New York State ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
The United States ◽  
Invasive Infection ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
Positive Specimen ◽  
Human Stool

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that is found widely in the environment and in a variety of ready-to-eat foods, yet human invasive infection is relatively rare (five cases per million people annually in the United States). Despite wide exposure to this organism, little is known about the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in human stool, and it is not known whether human fecal dispersal contributes to human foodborne transmission. We cultured 827 stool specimens (well formed and loose-watery) from individuals from four large metropolitan areas of New York state for L. monocytogenes and found only 1 (0.12%) positive specimen. L. monocytogenes was also isolated from the blood of the person with the single positive specimen, and the two isolates were indistinguishable by molecular subtyping (both were ribotype DUP-1042B). This provides further evidence that human L. monocytogenes fecal carriage among persons with and without diarrheal disease is remarkably low. Unlike the case for other foodborne pathogens (e.g., Salmonella), human shedders probably do not contribute significantly to L. monocytogenes contamination of foods. However, we observed a single individual with invasive listeriosis that shed the pathogen in feces, indicating the potential for fecal dispersal of L. monocytogenes from persons with listeriosis.

Irrigation Is Significantly Associated with an Increased Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in Produce Production Environments in New York State

2015 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 1132-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIEL WELLER ◽  
MARTIN WIEDMANN ◽  
LAURA K. STRAWN
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
New York State ◽  
Irrigation Level ◽  
York State ◽  
Listeria Species ◽  
Production Environments

Environmental (i.e., meteorological and landscape) factors and management practices can affect the prevalence of foodborne pathogens in produce production environments. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria species (including L. monocytogenes), Salmonella, and Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in produce production environments and to identify environmental factors and management practices associated with their isolation. Ten produce farms in New York State were sampled during a 6-week period in 2010, and 124 georeferenced samples (80 terrestrial, 33 water, and 11 fecal) were collected. L. monocytogenes, Listeria spp., Salmonella, and STEC were detected in 16, 44, 4, and 5% of terrestrial samples, 30, 58, 12, and 3% of water samples, and 45, 45, 27, and 9% of fecal samples, respectively. Environmental factors and management practices were evaluated for their association with terrestrial samples positive for L. monocytogenes or other Listeria species by univariate logistic regression; analysis was not conducted for Salmonella or STEC because the number of samples positive for these pathogens was low. Although univariate analysis identified associations between isolation of L. monocytogenes or Listeria spp. from terrestrial samples and various water-related factors (e.g., proximity to wetlands and precipitation), multivariate analysis revealed that only irrigation within 3 days of sample collection was significantly associated with isolation of L. monocytogenes (odds ratio = 39) and Listeria spp. (odds ratio = 5) from terrestrial samples. These findings suggest that intervention at the irrigation level may reduce the risk of produce contamination.

scholarly journals Molecular Ecology of Listeria monocytogenes: Evidence for a Reservoir in Milking Equipment on a Dairy Farm

2008 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1315-1323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra A. Latorre ◽  
Jo Ann S. Van Kessel ◽  
Jeffrey S. Karns ◽  
Michael J. Zurakowski ◽  
Abani K. Pradhan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Environmental Samples ◽  
Molecular Ecology ◽  
New York State ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Bulk Tank Milk ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Milk Samples ◽  
Bulk Tank

ABSTRACT A longitudinal study aimed to detect Listeria monocytogenes on a New York State dairy farm was conducted between February 2004 and July 2007. Fecal samples were collected every 6 months from all lactating cows. Approximately 20 environmental samples were obtained every 3 months. Bulk tank milk samples and in-line milk filter samples were obtained weekly. Samples from milking equipment and the milking parlor environment were obtained in May 2007. Fifty-one of 715 fecal samples (7.1%) and 22 of 303 environmental samples (7.3%) were positive for L. monocytogenes. A total of 73 of 108 in-line milk filter samples (67.6%) and 34 of 172 bulk tank milk samples (19.7%) were positive for L. monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from 6 of 40 (15%) sampling sites in the milking parlor and milking equipment. In-line milk filter samples had a greater proportion of L. monocytogenes than did bulk tank milk samples (P < 0.05) and samples from other sources (P < 0.05). The proportion of L. monocytogenes-positive samples was greater among bulk tank milk samples than among fecal or environmental samples (P < 0.05). Analysis of 60 isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) yielded 23 PFGE types after digestion with AscI and ApaI endonucleases. Three PFGE types of L. monocytogenes were repeatedly found in longitudinally collected samples from bulk tank milk and in-line milk filters.

Prevalence, Distribution, and Diversity of Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Environments, Focusing on Small Establishments and Establishments with a History of Failed Inspections

2011 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 1083-1095 ◽  
Author(s):  
KARIN HOELZER ◽  
BRIAN D. SAUDERS ◽  
MARIA D. SANCHEZ ◽  
PETER T. OLSEN ◽  
MICHELE M. PICKETT ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
New York State ◽  
York State ◽  
Food Contact ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Contact Surfaces ◽  
Retail Establishments

Despite growing concerns about cross-contamination of ready-to-eat foods with Listeria monocytogenes, our knowledge about the ecology and transmission of L. monocytogenes in retail establishments has remained limited. We conducted a cross-sectional study to characterize the prevalence, distribution, and subtype diversity of L. monocytogenes in 120 New York State retail deli establishments that were hypothesized to present an increased risk for environmental L. monocytogenes contamination (i.e., small establishments and establishments with a history of failed New York State Agriculture and Markets inspections). Analysis of these data along with previously reported data for 121 predominantly larger retail establishments in New York State identified establishment size, geographic location, and inspection history as significant predictors of L. monocytogenes presence and prevalence. The odds of an establishment being L. monocytogenes positive were approximately twice as high for large establishments, establishments located in New York City, or establishments with poor inspection history (as compared with establishments without these attributes), even though correlation between location and inspection history complicated interpretation of results. Within an establishment, L. monocytogenes was significantly more prevalent on nonfood contact surfaces than on food contact surfaces; prevalence was particularly high for floors and in floor drains, sinks, the dairy case, and milk crates. L. monocytogenes subtype diversity differed between sites, with lineage I isolates significantly associated with nonfood contact surfaces and lineage II isolates significantly associated with food contact surfaces. Isolates belonging to the same ribotype were often found dispersed across multiple sites within an operation.

Distribution of Listeria monocytogenes Molecular Subtypes among Human and Food Isolates from New York State Shows Persistence of Human Disease–Associated Listeria monocytogenes Strains in Retail Environments

2004 ◽  
Vol 67 (7) ◽  
pp. 1417-1428 ◽  
Author(s):  
BRIAN D. SAUDERS ◽  
KURT MANGIONE ◽  
CURTIS VINCENT ◽  
JON SCHERMERHORN ◽  
CLAUDETTE M. FARCHIONE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Allelic Variation ◽  
New York State ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Environmental Isolates ◽  
Retail Operations ◽  
York State ◽  
Retail Establishments

While there is considerable information available regarding Listeria monocytogenes contamination patterns in food processing plants, our understanding of L. monocytogenes contamination and transmission in retail operations is limited. We characterized 125 food, 40 environmental, and 342 human clinical L. monocytogenes isolates collected in New York State from 1997 to 2002 using automated ribotyping and hly allelic variation. All environmental isolates were obtained from retail establishments and the majority of food isolates (98 isolates) were obtained from foods that were prepared or handled at retail. Overall, food and/or environmental isolates from 50 different retail establishments were characterized. The 125 food and 40 environmental isolates were differentiated into 29 and 10 ribotypes, respectively. For 16 retail establishments, we found evidence for persistence of one or more specific L. monocytogenes strains as indicated by isolation of the same EcoRI ribotype from food or environmental samples collected in a given establishment on different days. The human isolates were differentiated into 48 ribotypes. Statistical analyses showed that two ribotypes were significantly (P &lt; 0.0001) more common among food isolates as compared with human isolates. However, a total of 17 ribotypes found among the human clinical isolates were also found among the food and environmental isolates. We conclude that L. monocytogenes, including subtypes that have been linked to human disease, can persist in retail environments. Implementation of Listeria control procedures in retail operations, which process and handle products that permit the growth of L. monocytogenes, are thus a critical component of a farm-to-table L. monocytogenes control program.

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