Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in raw bovine milk and milk products from central highlands of Ethiopia

Eyasu Tigabu Seyoum; Daniel Asrat Woldetsadik; Tesfu Kassa Mekonen; Haile Alemayehu Gezahegn; Wondwossen Abebe Gebreyes

doi:10.3855/jidc.6211

Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in raw bovine milk and milk products from central highlands of Ethiopia

Authors

Eyasu Tigabu Seyoum Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Daniel Asrat Woldetsadik Black Lion School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tesfu Kassa Mekonen Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Haile Alemayehu Gezahegn Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Wondwossen Abebe Gebreyes College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, United States

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.6211

Keywords:

Listeria monocytogenes, milk products, bovine milk, Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction: Listeria monocytogenes is of major significance in human and veterinary medicine. Most human Listeria infections are foodborne and the association of contaminated milk and dairy produce consumption with human listeriosis is noteworthy. In Ethiopia, there is limited data regarding the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in raw bovine milk and dairy products. The aim of this study was, therefore, to determine the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in raw bovine milk and dairy produce.

Methodology: A total of 443 milk and milk product samples were microbiologically analyzed following methods recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual to isolate Listeria spp.

Results: The overall prevalence of Listeria spp. was 28.4% and specifically that of L. monocytogenes was 5.6%. Taking the prevalence of Listeria spp. into consideration, cheese was found to be highly contaminated at 60%, followed by pasteurized milk samples (40%), raw milk (18.9%) and yoghurt (5%). Considering the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes only, raw milk had the lowest contamination while cheese had the highest, followed by pasteurized milk and yoghurt.

Conclusions: Raw milk and milk products produced in urban and peri-urban areas of central Ethiopia were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, L. monocytogenes. The detection of this pathogen in raw milk and milk products warrants an urgent regulatory mechanism to be put in place and also the potential role of milk processing plants in the contamination of dairy products should be investigated.

Author Biographies

Eyasu Tigabu Seyoum, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tropical and infectious disease

Aklilku Lemma Institute of Pathobiology

Ph.D candidate

Daniel Asrat Woldetsadik, Black Lion School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Associate Professor

Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences,

Tesfu Kassa Mekonen, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Professor and Director of Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology (ALIPB), Animal Health and Zoonoses Unit,

Haile Alemayehu Gezahegn, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Lecture, Microbiology Unit

Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University

Wondwossen Abebe Gebreyes, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, United States

Director, Global Health Programs, Infectious Disease Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory (IDMEL) ,College of Veterinary Medicine,

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Published

2015-11-30

How to Cite

Seyoum ET, Woldetsadik DA, Mekonen TK, Gezahegn HA, Gebreyes WA (2015) Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in raw bovine milk and milk products from central highlands of Ethiopia. J Infect Dev Ctries 9:1204–1209. doi: 10.3855/jidc.6211

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Issue

Vol. 9 No. 11: November 2015

Section

Original Articles

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