Virulence potential of Listeria monocytogenes strains recovered from pigs in Spain

Background Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterial pathogen that causes listeriosis, an infectious disease in animals and people, with pigs acting as asymptomatic reservoirs. In August 2019 an outbreak associated with the consumption of pork meat caused 222 human cases of listeriosis in Spai...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Veterinary record 2020-11, Vol.187 (11), p.e101-e101
Main Authors: Gómez-Laguna, Jaime, Cardoso-Toset, Fernando, Meza-Torres, Jazmín, Pizarro-Cerdá, Javier, Quereda, Juan J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies
Bacteria
Epidemics
Food contamination & poisoning
Food Microbiology
Hogs
Humans
Infections
invasion
isolates
Laboratories
Life Sciences
Listeria
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeriosis
meat
Microbiology and Parasitology
Pathogenesis
Pork
Pork Meat
Proteins
replication
Spain
Swine
Swine Diseases
tonsil
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary services
Virulence
virulence factor
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Summary:Background Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterial pathogen that causes listeriosis, an infectious disease in animals and people, with pigs acting as asymptomatic reservoirs. In August 2019 an outbreak associated with the consumption of pork meat caused 222 human cases of listeriosis in Spain. Determining the diversity as well as the virulence potential of strains from pigs is important to public health.MethodsThe behaviour of 23 L monocytogenes strains recovered from pig tonsils, meat and skin was compared by studying (1) internalin A, internalin B, listeriolysin O, actin assembly-inducing protein and PrfA expression levels, and (2) their invasion and intracellular growth in eukaryotic cells.ResultsMarked differences were found in the expression of the selected virulence factors and the invasion and intracellular replication phenotypes of L monocytogenes strains. Strains obtained from meat samples and belonging to serotype 1/2a did not have internalin A anchored to the peptidoglycan. Some strains expressed higher levels of the studied virulence factors and invaded and replicated intracellularly more efficiently than an epidemic L monocytogenes reference strain (F2365).ConclusionThis study demonstrates the presence of virulent L monocytogenes strains with virulent potential in pigs, with valuable implications in veterinary medicine and food safety.
ISSN:0042-4900
2042-7670
0042-4900
DOI:10.1136/vr.105945