LISTERIOSIS AND ITS ZOONOTIC IMPACT

LISTERIOSIS AND ITS ZOONOTIC IMPACT

Dr. Sudhanya Nath¹* and Aravindkumar K.²

¹PhD Scholar, Dept. of Animal Nutrition, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Kolkata – 700037

²B.V.Sc. & A.H. Student, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Puducherry – 605009

*Corresponding author – sudhanyanath@yahoo.com

 

Abstract

Animals, birds, fish, crabs, and humans all can be affected by listeriosis, which is an infectious and lethal disease. Listeria monocytogenes, an intracellular pathogen with the remarkable ability to move from cell to cell, therefore overcoming blood–brain, intestinal, and placental barriers, causes this significant food-borne zoonosis. Though the illness outbreaks caused by listeriosis are infrequent over the world, they can cause significant damage if they occur. Septicaemia, encephalitis, stillbirth, perinatal infections, abortion, and gastroenteritis are all symptoms of listeriosis, with the incubation period varied depending on the kind of infection. L. monocytogenes has been isolated from food sources such as milk, meat and its products, seafood, vegetables and soil, rivers, decaying plants, humans and animals all over the world. The spread of disease can be reduced by sanitary measures because the disease spreads primarily through food in both humans and animals and also adequate immunization is unavailable. Because of the potentially serious effects, we should be familiar with listerial infection diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Key words: Diagnosis, Infection, Listeriosis, Prevention, Treatment

Listeriosis is also called as silage disease. The encephalitic variant in animals is called as circling diseases because the animal tends to move in circles (OIE, 2014). Throughout the world Listeriosis may be sporadic or endemic. The organism causing listeriosis is a Gram positive, Rod shaped bacterium. This organism can survive in wide range of temperature from 4°C to 37°C (Janakiraman, 2008). Infections in animals are usually asymptomatic, but severe types can also develop. The organism can move from cell to cell without being released which is called as an internal life cycle. This explains its aetiology by demonstrating its ability to traverse the placental barriers and blood–brain barriers (Tsige, Temesgen Zekarias et al. 2019- Figure 1) In case of pregnant animals listeriosis shows minor symptoms in the mother but it is very fatal to the foetus. Since it is an intracellular organism, it can hide within the host cells making it difficult for detection and treatment (Rawool et al., 2007). Canines, rodents, wild animals, birds, Small ruminants such as sheep, goat and large ruminants such as cattle, buffalo, horses, pigs, camels are some of the animals that are mostly affected by Listeria. The mortality rate varies between 20% to 30%, Immunocompromised individuals and newborns have a higher death rate. In ruminants the diseases might be Spinal myelitis, gastroenterits, mastists. The clinical sings vary for different animals as it depends on the virulence and type of strain affecting the animals (Camejo et al., 2011). In both people and animals, listeric infections cause gastrointestinal sickness or systemic syndromes, resulting in meningitis and a poor prognosis. Since the majority of the transmission occurs by means food, Keep undercooked meat apart from other food ingredients to avoid the risk of cross-listerial infection (Jagadeesan et al., 2010). The utilisation of bacteriophages is of great interest in the current day, when there are worries about rising antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens as well as food safety problems. With the adverse effects on one hand (Dramsi & Cossart, 2003). Listeria is also being used as a carrier vector in both live and attenuated vaccines for treatment of tumour associated antigens (Janakiraman, 2008).

Figure 1: Routes of transmission and their clinical signs (Tsige, Temesgen Zekarias et al. 2019)

History, clinical symptoms, pathological findings, and pathogen identification are used to make a diagnosis. Presumptive diagnosis can be aided by previous illness exposure, feeding patterns, grazing pasture, and observation of signs and symptoms (Kahn, 2005). Because of its widespread distribution and capacity to stay outside the host’s body for long periods of time, determining the source and spread of infection is difficult (OIE, 2014).

Diagnosis

Blood, liver, spleen, heart, aborted placenta, foetus, brain, CSF, meconium, faeces, vomit, are the chosen clinical samples for identifying the organism in culture (Khan et al. 2014). The clinical signs such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, endocarditis, granulomatous lesions in multiple organs, cutaneous involvement, coryza, conjunctivitis, metritis with abortion, sepsis and meningitis can also be used to diagnose. The disease causes abortion in second half of pregnancy, Miscarriage or birth by a few days or weeks with symptoms of chills, fever, cephalalgia, dizziness and gastrointestinal symptoms, Perinatal mortality (Brugere-Picoux, 2008; Scott, 2013). Symptomless faecal carriage is common, Granulomatous lesions and abscesses occur in the liver and other organs and beneath the skin, focal necrosis in the placenta with mononuclear infiltration, if untreated the Fatality rates may exceed 20% (Walker et al. 1990).

 

Treatment

Because L. monocytogenes may infiltrate practically all cell types, treating listeriosis can be difficult. The length of treatment depends on the severity of the infection. Treatment is ineffective in sheep and goats immediately after the onset of neurological symptoms or in the chronic form. Prophylactic antibiotics such as sulphonamides, penicillin, and tetracycline may be administered (Radostits et al., 2008). Ampicillin was previously thought to be the best treatment for listeriosis. However, resistance to this medication was first discovered in 1984 (Rapp et al., 1984). Treatment of bovine genital listeriosis with gentamicin has been found to be successful. Antibiotic resistance has been discovered in Listeria isolates from food, the environment, animals, and humans, including gentamicin, cotrimixazole, and ofloxacin (Low & Donachie et al., 1997). Because antibiotic chemotherapy is the sole treatment option for listeriosis, prudent use of these treatments in veterinary medicine, and monitoring antibiotic susceptibility, is critical (Okada et al., 2011). Apart from the ill effects, Listeria can be used as a vector for treatment of tumour also. (Flickinger, Rodeck, U. Et et al., 2018)

Figure 2: Use of listeria in tumour treatment (Flickinger, J.C., Jr.; Rodeck, U. Et et al. 2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vaccine

 

It is extremely challenging to create effective vaccines against L. monocytogenes since it is an intracellular bacterium that requires effector T cells for an efficient immune response (Jahagir et al., 2011). To prevent the infection in sheep, vaccinations against L. monocytogenes are especially needed. Individuals at high risk must also be protected with an effective vaccine. As a result, efforts to produce a listeriosis vaccine must continue. More attention should be given to new-generation vaccines, such as DNA vaccines, vector vaccines, protein/peptide vaccines, recombinant protein-based vaccines, and nanovaccines (Dhama, Koff et al., 2013).Type-1 polarized dendritic cells have been found to be effective in enhancing protective immunity against intracellular bacteria like L. monocytogenes (Kono et al., 2012). The use of gas-filled microbubbles (MB) as an antigen delivery technique for L. monocytogenes generating T cell responses has also proved successful.

 

Prevention

 

Because of the widespread nature of the causal organism, the lack of a simple way of detecting Listeria contamination in the environment, and a lack of awareness of risk factors other than silage, listeriosis is difficult to control. However, the following are some of the control measures:

• Incineration or burning procedures should be used to properly dispose of contaminated items, beddings and litters, and infected carcasses.
• Rotten vegetables should not be fed to the animals and avoid silage feeding in endemic areas.
• Animal farms must maintain sufficient hygiene and sanitation.
• When there is a disease epidemic, monitor the usage of tetracyclines in the ration of at-risk animals as a preventive strategy.
• Proper and prompt safety measure must be followed in case of immunocompromised individuals.
• To lower the number of cases per year, routine raw milk testing or a raw milk testing programme should be implemented (Latorre et al., 2011).

 

 

Control

 

• Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) in sweet buttermilk powder reduces pathogen adhesion to intestinal mucosa and protects against listeriosis infection (Sprong et al. 2012).
• Bacteriocins, disinfectants, phages, and correct processing and packaging techniques in the food processing industry can help to keep Listeria from spreading into the population (Muriana 1996).
• Timely detection, keeping possible sources of infection away/eliminating them, maintaining high hygiene/sanitation standards and following good management practises in poultry farms and poultry processing units, discarding infected poultry at the entry level of processing plants, and adapting appropriate disinfection measures with proper culling and quarantine are all critical factors in disease prevention (Dhama et al., 2012).
• On farms, pre-harvest listeriosis control should be undertaken (Dhama et al., 2012).
• The use of antibiotics in chicken feed has a preventive utility in preventing listeriosis (Longhi et al.,2008).
• Controlling pH and water activity and preservatives helps to control food contamination that causes listeriosis (Swaminathan, 2001).
• Identification of high-risk items, as well as increased knowledge of predisposing factors and the consequences of listeriosis among high-risk populations (newborns, the elderly and immunocompromised, pregnant women) and consumers, is crucial (Borucki et al.,2004).
• The widespread use of antibiotics in poultry feed as growth promoters and prophylactics have resulted in a considerable reduction in listeriosis incidences (Tompkin et al.,1992).
• Disinfectants such as sodium hypochloride and ethanol can be used to the organism (Tompkin et al.,1992).

 

Conclusion               

Listeriosis is a deadly infectious disease that causes septicaemia and encephalitis in mammals, birds, and humans. It is a big issue in poorer countries where food is scarce and sanitary conditions are poor. Because disease is under-appreciated in most nations and situations, thorough epidemiological research and data are needed to understand the present state and extent of infection in order to build and modify an efficient disease control programme at the national and global levels. When it comes to significant food-borne zoonosis, prompt diagnosis and effective treatment/prevention must be prioritised. Currently, the only approach to protect animals and humans against listeriosis is to prevent it, which can be accomplished through proper management techniques.

 

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