Essay on Listeria Monocytogenus

Over the years there have been various cases of foodborne illnesses. As humans we tend to try a variety of foods because of our own particular interest. For example, those that may travel out of the United States may be prone to consuming exotic foods that they aren’t typically used to consuming. There have been multiple recommendations to protect one from becoming infected with foodborne illnesses. Many foodborne illnesses are definitely harmful to the body and if the situation isn’t treated by a healthcare professional, death may be the end of result. Foodborne illnesses occur from parasites becoming into contact with the foods we eat, thus putting the human population at risk. When foodborne illnesses are discovered, healthcare officials does a great job with acknowledging the general public of precautions and measures that should be taken.

The Maple leaf foods listeria outbreak resulted 22 deaths and a widespread recall of luncheon meat, Sandwiches and deli platters, more than  220 packages of produce and a 20$ million dollar settlement for the company as well as consumer confidence in the produce was jolted. The Outbreak was caused by two meat slicing machine’s that were contaminated with Listeriosis and not cleaned properly.

One environment where bacteria are regularly exposed to antibiotics is in large livestock operations, where producers very often treat their cows and other animals with drugs to prevent epidemics in the unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, which are common in the livestock industry. The simple reason for this is that in the short term it is cheaper to drug up the animals with antibiotics than to keep a clean living environment for them. Another big reason for these producers to drug up the animals is the fact that feeding antibiotics to the livestock makes for larger animals. The problem occurs when bacteria in these animals survive the bombardment of antibiotics, and some always do, the

The consumption of fruits and vegetables have been regarded as a case contributing to the foodborne microbial disease outbreak. The contributor of the largest number of outbreak reported is melon. There were three outbreaks associated with melon including an outbreak of listeriosis in melon in 2009 which caused 9 people received treatment and 2 died, an outbreak of salmonella saintpaul in the same year, nearly 100 suspected and confirmed cases, 9 people received treatment and other suspected in outbreak of Cyclospora in 2010 resulting in at least 314 people becoming ill.There was an outbreak report of hepatitis in 2009, which is one of the largest foodborne disease outbreaks related to the consumption of fruit in Australia. This outbreak caused

Nosocomial infections refers to infections acquired during hospitalization, with symptoms usually occurring within forty-eight hours after admission.

The bacterium is largely spread in nature and be present in soil, water and contaminated foods. Animals and fresh produce are prone to contamination in foul environment. How this affected Enterprise Food, is the factory workers were in the presence of the bacterium while they were producing the perishable, and from the above research listeriosis shows that it has the ability to affect the working environment through oxygen ‘inhaling’, and through quality checks when the quality in spectator test the product as for quality protocol by tasting the perishable meat. Infection of the bacterium can cause in mild to severe febrile gastroenteritis and in pregnant women, the bacterium can cause pregnancy loss. (National institute for communicable

There have been several food recalls related to Listeria monocytogenes in the United States this year. As CNN explains, Listeria is a bacterium that can be found in raw meats, produce, and unpasteurized dairy products. It is resistant to moderate heat and cold, so it can survive in a refrigerator. The symptoms of listeriosis are similar to those of influenza, but the illness can be dangerous to infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system.

Ampicillin is used to treat to Listeria monocytogenes meningitis. Within the age-group of this patient, the disease is only contracted by immunocompromised individuals, and there will usually be a history of ingestion of unpasteurized dairy products. Diagnosis is made by identifying motile gram-positive bacilli in a cold enrichment culture of the CSF. Other CSF findings include markedly elevated opening pressure (normal range being 70–180 mmH2O) up to 90,000 neutrophils/µL, decreased glucose (below 40 mg/dL), and increased proteins (above 40 mg/dL). An aminoglycoside may be added to the ampicillin treatment.

Listeria can greatly impact members of any community. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that groups within communities that are more at risk of becoming infected by Listeria are pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and individuals with weakened or compromised immune systems (CDC 1st, 2015). The most recent outbreak that received a substantial amount of media coverage was the outbreak linked to Blue Bell creameries products in February 2015. The Blue Bell investigation period per the CDC actually began in 2010. Although the outbreak investigation is over, the CDC explains consumers and retailers should remain vigilant because people could continue to become sick if they are unaware of the recall and consume any of

It is undeniable that the recent discovery of antibiotics and disinfectants in the past century is leading to the creation of increasingly dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Super bugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus have begun breaking out in hospital areas, killing more and more patients due to the lack of people following through with simple safety measures. In order to stop the creation and spread of antibiotic-resistant super bugs, proper precautions must be taken such as avoiding antibacterial cleaners, following through with instructions when taking prescriptions and maintaining adequate hand hygiene. Through adhering to basic safety rules, the creation and spread of super bugs can be minimized and all together

It was first identified as a new cause of disease in the United States in 1982 after an outbreak of gastrointestinal illnesses from undercooked meat after eating hamburgers from fast food restaurants. It has also been found in the drinking water in Washington County, New York and in some area swimming waters in Clark County Washington in 1999. Other outbreaks in recent years have been found in alfalfa sprouts, unpasteurized fruit juices, dry-cured salami, lettuce, game meat, and cheese

With ideal conditions, the bacteria can quickly reproduce once every 20-40 minutes. The bacteria do not have the facility to breed in temperatures up to 10°C, but remains among the host on standby. This means that it's still affordable to receive academic degree infection from the food. Since eubacteria reproduces at a speedy rate and will live though not plenty for weeks.

The fermentation that occurs during the making of good silage focuses on the conversion of carbohydrates from the plants anaerobically converted into lactic acid. This is an incredibly simple process brought on by the homolactic Lactobacillus bacteria as the carbohydrates such as glucose as converted into 2 molecules of pyruvate by glycolysis, which is then converted into 2 molecules of lactic acid; creating ATP and involving both the reduction of NAD+ for use in glycolysis, but then also the oxidation of NADH to regenerate more NAD+ (Morton J S, 1980). However, secondary fermentation can be taken by the Clostridia bacteria if the pH does not increase fast enough, which convert the produced lactic acid into butyric acid, increasing the pH but

Listeria monocytogenes, a motile, gram-positive rod, is an opportunistic food-borne pathogen capable of causing listeriosis in humans. Listeriosis includes manifestations of septicemia, meningitis, pneumonia, and encephalitis. L. monocytogenes is also implicated in miscarriages, stillbirth, and premature birth for pregnant women. L. monocytogenes is a tough bacterium resistant to freezing, drying, and heat; most strains have been shown to be pathogenic. It is hypothesized that 1-10% of humans are intestinal carriers of L. monocytogenes. Over 37 mammalian species, including wild and domestic animals, are capable of L. monocytogenes infection and transmission. Extensive environmental reservoirs for L.

Macrobiotics is one of the many alternative diets that has gained popularity in the United States over the last couple decades. Michio Kushi introduced macrobiotics to New York City in the 1970's. Proponents of macrobiotics contend that it is not merely a diet, but a philosophy that, if properly observed, will ensure emotional, physical, spiritual and mental well-being. Good physical health is necessary before emotional, physical and spiritual wellness can be cultivated. See Foundation for the Macrobiotic Way