'New' food-borne pathogens of public health significance

Recent work by epidemiologists and microbiologists has uncovered several hitherto unrecognized food-borne bacterial pathogens of public health significance. One of these, Listeria monocytogenes, has attracted considerable attention because of two major cheese-related outbreaks of listeriosis that were characterized by cases of meningitis, abortion, and perinatal septicemia. Thus far, L. monocytogenes has been responsible for well over 300 reported cases of food-borne listeriosis, including about 100 deaths, and has cost the dairy industry alone more than 66 million dollars as a result of product recalls. The ability of L. monocytogenes to grow at refrigeration temperatures, coupled with appearance of the pathogen in raw and processed meats, as well as poultry, vegetables, and seafood, makes this bacterium a serious threat to susceptible consumers and to the entire food industry. Yersinia enterocolitica, another psychrotrophic food-borne pathogen of recent concern, was linked to several outbreaks of yersiniosis associated with consumption of both raw and pasteurized milk, as well as contaminated water. Food-borne infections involving Y. enterocolitica typically result in enterocolitis, whichmay be mistaken for acute appendicitis. Unfortunately, inadvertent removal of healthy appendixes from victims of food-borne yersiniosis is all too common. Although known for many years, Campylobacter jejuni has only recently been recognized as a food-borne pathogen and a leading cause of gastroenteritis in the United States. Notable outbreaks of campylobacteriosis linked to consumption of raw milk, cake icing, eggs, poultry, and beef have underscored the need for thorough cooking and proper handling of raw products. Consumption of contaminated water, shrimp, crab, and oysters has recently led to sporadic cases of classic cholera and mild gastroenteritis caused by Vibrio cholerae 01 and V. cholerae non-01, respectively, with substantial financial losses being experienced by the seafood industry. Since 1982, a strain of Escherichia coli, serotype 0157:H7, has become firmly established as the causative agent of two life-threatening conditions-hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Thus far, ground beef and raw milk have been the only foods linked to this illness; however, the list of foods is likely to expand in the future as improved methods for detecting the pathogen become available. For public safety, it is imperative that appropriate precautions be taken to control the presence of viable cells of these “emerging” pathogens in our food supply, including foods offered to consumers by the institutional and commercial segments of the foodservice industry. J Am Diet Assoc 89:948-954, 1989.