Molecular characterization of listeria monocytogenes isolated from different animal-origin food items from urban and rural areas

Abstract

Listeriosis is classified as the third main cause of food-borne diseases and it is one of the significant bacterial zoonotic infections causing high fatality rates worldwide. The aim of this research was to isolate and characterize Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) from different food items in Sharkia Province, Egypt. A total of 200 food samples were collected aseptically from local markets and subjected to the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of L. monocytogenes. Listeria species were isolated from 28 (56%), 9 (18%), 3 (6%) and 5 (10%) of the minced meat, poultry meat, tilapia fish, and raw milk samples, respectively. Overall, L. monocytogenes were isolated from 12 and 8 samples from urban and rural areas with percentages of 6 and 4%, respectively. Of interest, inlA, actA, prfA, and hlyA virulence genes were detected in all 20 L. monocytogenes isolates by multiplex PCR. In conclusion, L. monocytogenes is an organism of public health implications, and its recovery from the food samples sold at retail outlets indicates a breach of quality assurance.