A contaminated meat slicer was powering 4 Listeria infections in an Italian medical center in late 2020, according to a examine.
Scientists stated it was the first report of an outbreak of listeriosis triggered by sequence kind (ST) 451 in Italy.
Bacterial infections concerned a single immunocompromised and three most cancers patients in distinctive units of a hospital in the town of Latina, Lazio, in the centre of Italy in September and Oct 2020.
A 53-year-old guy died, a 75-yr-old person and 55-year-outdated female have been discharged to go residence and a 39-12 months-aged guy was referred to hospice treatment, according to the analyze printed in the journal Pathogens.
Two people eaten only healthcare facility meals, even though a different explained she also ate parmesan cheese introduced from property after and saved in a thermic bag for a couple of times.
From the offered menus of afflicted people, it was not feasible to discover one meals item as the frequent direct supply of infection.
Outbreak strain discovered in clinic kitchen area
Researchers reported findings help the speculation of a secondary contamination celebration involving a food dealt with with the slicer. Nonetheless, the first supply of the kitchen area contamination by this strain was not identified.
The only environmental sample optimistic for Listeria monocytogenes was a kitchen area slicer that was dedicated to chopping raw meat and, after a sanitizing stage, cooked meat these as roasts.
Following identification of the meat slicer as the contaminant source, a temporary suspension was put in spot and exterior service relied on for the provide of packaged meals so the hospital kitchen area could be sanitized. Pursuing the absence of Listeria monocytogenes, after five times the cooking center was reopened.
The epidemiological investigation associated traditional microbiological methodology and total genome sequencing.
Researchers analyzed the sequence facts of strains isolated from 7 listeriosis situations addressed in the same hospital given that 2017 but only the most up-to-date 4 had been similar.
A even further 10 instances of Listeria monocytogenes ST451 had been uncovered in a database of sequenced Listeria monocytogenes clinical isolates collected in Italy in new years with one every single from Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria, four from Lombardy, and three from Piedmont.
Researchers reported healthcare specialists ought to advise folks at elevated risk for severe listeriosis to stay clear of foods that could be additional probably to be contaminated, these types of as frivolously cooked or uncooked prepared-to-try to eat goods. Hospitals and health care services ought to also be conscious of the hazard of Listeria monocytogenes contamination of foods company devices and foods processing plants, they additional.
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