Symposium on microbiology update: old friends and new enemies. Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes, one of the "new enemies" in food microbiology, is a human and animal pathogen that is widespread in nature. The organism is a transient constituent of the intestinal flora excreted by 1-10% of healthy humans. It is an extremely hardy organism and can survive for many years in the cold in naturally infected sources. L. monocytogenes has been isolated from a wide variety of foods, including dairy products, meats, and fish. Although most of the foodborne listeriosis outbreaks have been linked to the consumption of dairy products, recent sporadic cases have been associated with meats, as well as other foods. It is now recognized that listeriolysin 0, a 60-kilodalton protein, is one of the major virulence factors of the organism. All strains of L. monocytogenes are pathogenic by definition although some appear to be more virulent than others. There have been recent reports of hemolytic isolates of L. monocytogenes, which are nonpathogenic for mice. Attachment to and penetration of cells also appear to be prerequisites for human infection. Cultural methodology for isolating the organism from foods has been in a state of flux since 1985. Rapid methods using both ELISA and DNA technology have been developed. Because of the widespread nature of the organism, it is nearly impossible to eliminate it from the food supply. However, by using a hazard analysis-critical control point approach, the health hazard associated with this organism can be reduced to a minimum.