ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Listeriosis, a bacterial disease in humans and animals, is mostly caused by ingestion of Listeria monocytogenes via contaminated food and/or water, or by a zoonotic infection. Globally, listeriosis has in general a low incidence but a high case fatality rate. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence, antimicrobial profiles, and genetic relatedness of L. monocytogenes from raw meat and dairy products (raw milk, cottage cheese, cream cake), collected from the capital and five neighboring towns in Ethiopia. METHODS: Two hundred forty food samples were purchased from July to December 2006 from food vendors, shops, and supermarkets, using a cross-sectional study design. L. monocytogenes were isolated and subjected to molecular serotyping. The genetic relatedness and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were investigated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and minimum inhibitory concentration determinations. RESULTS: Of 240 food samples tested, 66 (27.5%) were positive for Listeria species. Of 59 viable isolates, 10 (4.1%) were L. monocytogenes. Nine were serotype 4b and one was 2b. Minimum inhibitory concentration determination and PFGE of the 10 L. monocytogenes isolates showed low occurrence of antimicrobial resistance among eight different PFGE types. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this study correspond to similar research undertaken in Ethiopia by detecting L. monocytogenes with similar prevalence rates. Public education is crucial as regards the nature of this organism and relevant prevention measures. Moreover, further research in clinical samples should be carried out to estimate the prevalence and carrier rate in humans, and future investigations on foodborne outbreaks must include L. monocytogenes.
Subject(s)
Dairy Products/microbiology , Listeria/growth & development , Meat/microbiology , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Dairy Products/economics , Drug Resistance, Bacterial , Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field , Ethiopia , Listeria/classification , Listeria/drug effects , Listeria/isolation & purification , Listeria monocytogenes/classification , Listeria monocytogenes/drug effects , Listeria monocytogenes/growth & development , Listeria monocytogenes/isolation & purification , Meat/economics , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Milk/economics , Milk/microbiology , Molecular Typing , UrbanizationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Brucellosis is a Zoonosis, recognized worldwide as a serious public health hazard and economically significant disease. The etiologic agent of this disease is a bacterial species of the genus Brucella that causes undulant fever, sterility and other systemic illnesses in human. Thus, the aim of this study was to undertake seroepidemiological study of brucellosis on occupationally exposed persons in Addis Ababa abattoirs enterprise and different dairy farms. METHODS: Three hundred thirty six human individuals were screened using Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and the sera were further subjected to 2- Mercapto Ethanol Test (2-MET). Simultaneously, survey was conducted in farms and slaughterhouse to investigate epidemiological factors. RESULTS: An overall seroprevalence rate of 4.8% (16/336) was determined by taking RBPT+/2MET+ as confirmatory test (P < 0.05). Some of the risk factors contributing to the occurrence of the disease include occupation, gender, and unsafe handling of infected materials. Raw milk and meat consumption, lack of awareness and use of detergents were also found as important factors. CONCLUSION: The seroprevalence of brucellosis is expected to be more in other areas of the Region, where there is high human-animal contact and high number of cattle population with a respective traditional system of animal rearing.
Subject(s)
Abattoirs , Brucellosis/epidemiology , Dairying , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Adult , Agriculture , Animals , Brucellosis/blood , Brucellosis/diagnosis , Cross-Sectional Studies , Ethiopia/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Male , Occupational Exposure/analysis , Occupational Exposure/statistics & numerical data , Risk Factors , Seroepidemiologic Studies , ZoonosesABSTRACT
This cross-sectional study was designed to determine and describe the prevalence of diarrhoea caused by Yersinia enterocolitica isolates in comparison with the commonly encountered diarrhoeagenic Salmonella and Shigella among all age group out-patients of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Standardized bacteriological isolation and biochemical test techniques were used. Among the stool samples of 205 patients tested for bacteriological cultures, only 3 (1.5%) were positive for Yersinia enterocolitica, 22 (10.7%) for Salmonella and 12 (5.8%) for Shigella. In this study, Yersinia enterocolitica did not seem to be the main aetiological enteric pathogenic agent when compared with the well-studied diarrhoeacogenic bacteria agents like Salmonella and Shigella strains.
