Establishment of the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in both specified food samples and faecal

Project Reference: Synergy project

Status: Completed

Commencement Date: February, 2005

Project Duration: 3 months

Abstract:

There is a scarcity of data on the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes in butter spreads and in fresh, soft and semi–hard cheeses. There have been a number of large outbreaks, mainly in North America, where Listeria monocytogenes was identified as the causative agent.

The aim of this project was to establish the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in dairy products, including butter, cheese and pates purchased from retail outlets in the Waterford area. The project compared strains found in food with those of clinical isolates and allowed for the establishment of a bank of isolates for use in further research.

Principal Contractor(s):

Mr Noel Shanaghy, Waterford Regional Hospital

Collaborator(s):

Prof Seamus Fanning & Dr Paul Whyte, University College Dublin

Dr Paul Rooney, Belfast City Hospital

Outputs:

Reports:

Laboratory capacity building