Listeria monocytogenes Essay -- Essays Papers

Listeria monocytogenes psychiatric hospitalListeria monocytogenes, a motile, gram-positive rod, is an opportunistic food-borne pathogen adequate of causing listeriosis in humans. Listeriosis includes manifestations of septicemia, meningitis, pneumonia, and encephalitis. L. monocytogenes is also implicated in miscarriages, stillbirth, and premature birth for great(predicate) women. L. monocytogenes is a tough bacterium resistant to freezing, drying, and heat most strains arrive at been shown to be pathogenic. It is hypothesized that 1-10% of humans are intestinal carriers of L. monocytogenes. Over 37 mammalian species, including wild and domestic animals, are exposed of L. monocytogenes infection and transmission. Extensive environmental reservoirs for L. monocytogenes include soil, water, vegetation, sewage, silage, and the intestinal tract of various animals.EncounterL. monocytogenes is transmitted by ingestion of contaminated food or water. The bacterium is associated with raw milk, cheeses, (particularly lenient varieties) ice cream, raw vegetables, fermented raw-meat sausages, raw and cooked poultry, raw meats, and raw and smoked fish. It is capable of growing at temperatures as low as 3C allowing multiplication in refrigerated foods, making L. monocytogenes infection particularly nasty to avoid. The infective dose has not been determined, but is believed to vary with the susceptibility of the individual. It whitethorn be less than 1000 bacterium in the immuno-compromised individual.Entry, Multiplication, and SpreadL. monocytogenes initially gains access to the body through the gastrointestinal tract but is capable of infecting the blood through monocytes, macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The bacterium is also capable of infe... ...s system involvement, the elder and in persons with other serious medical problems.WorldwideApproximately 2, viosterol cases of listeriosis are reported every year in the United States. This includes 500 pre ventable deaths. L. monocytogenes outbreaks are still occurring worldwide. Recently, in 2002 contaminated turkey delicatessen meat caused a US outbreak along the east swoop and contaminated cheese caused an outbreak in British Columbia. Outbreaks over the past twenty years hurt involved contaminated chocolate milk, shrimp, lunchmeats, and cheese. A California outbreak in 1985 was due to contaminated Mexican-style cheese. This outbreak direct to numerous stillbirths resulting in the monitoring of cheeses by the FDA. Fortunately, according to a try done by The US Department of Health and Human Services, infections with L. monocytogenes have decreased 35 % from 1996 to 2002.