Investigation article published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology

December 1^st, 2001

A total of 153 strains of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from different sources (72 from sheep, 12 from cattle, 18 from feedstuffs, and 51 from humans) in Spain from 1989 to 2000 were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The strains of L. monocytogenes displayed 55 pulsotypes. The 84 animal, 51 human, and 18 feedstuff strains displayed 31, 29, and 7 different pulsotypes, respectively, indicating a great genetic diversity among the Spanish L. monocytogenes isolates studied. L. monocytogenes isolates from clinical samples and feedstuffs consumed by the diseased animals were analyzed in 21 flocks. In most cases, clinical strains from different animals of the same flock had identical pulsotypes, confirming the existence of a listeriosis outbreak. L. monocytogenes strains with pulsotypes identical to those of clinical strains were isolated from silage, potatoes, and maize stalks. This is the first study wherein potatoes and maize stalks are epidemiologically linked with clinical listeriosis

Vela AI., Fernandez-Garayzabal JF., Vazquez-Boland JA., Latre MV., Blanco MM., Moreno MA., de la Fuente I., Marco J., Franco CM., Cepeda A., Rodriguez AA., Suarez G. and Dominguez L..

Molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of Spanish animal and human Listeria monocytogenes isolates

Molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of Spanish animal and human Listeria monocytogenes isolates

	Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad Complutense (UCM).
	Servicio de Identificación y Caracterización Microbiana (ICM). Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET). Universidad Complutense (UCM).