Development and validation of an antigen capture ELISA based on monoclonal antibodies specific for Listeria monocytogenes in food.

A capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the identification of Listeria monocytogenes in food was standardised and validated. The assay was refined by analysing samples of meat, seafood, dairy products, pasta and flour. The method was found to be 100% specific for Listeria spp.

Characterisation of Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from soft and semi-soft cheeses sampled in a region of Italy.

A total of 47 Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated in a survey of cheeses sampled from retail outlets were characterised. Five cheeses (Gorgonzola, Taleggio, Asiago, Crescenza and Brie) were chosen from the most popular soft and semi-soft cheeses consumed in Italy and most commonly contaminated with L. monocytogenes.

An outbreak of gastroenteritis in a holiday resort in Italy: epidemiological survey, implementation and application of preventive measures.

A major gastroenteritis outbreak was reported in a vacation resort in Central Italy in 2003. A total of 183 cases were identified. The case-control study identified a statistically significant correlation between the disease and sea bathing, use of sanitary facilities in bungalows and of common showers.

Investigation of an outbreak of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Hadar food illness in the Abruzzi region of Italy.

A comparative study was made of 22 strains of Salmonella Hadar isolated from victims of an outbreak of food illness in the Abruzzi region of Italy in 2000 and 21 strains of the same serotype isolated from poultry meat and human stool samples in the Abruzzi and Molise regions between 2000 and 2001. The aim of the investigation was to provide an epidemiological interpretation of the food illness outbreak to establish the degree of similarity between the S. Hadar strains isolated from victims of the outbreak and those isolated from poultry meat (identified but unconfirmed as the possible source of infection) and from other human samples received in the laboratory.

Gastroenteritis outbreak at holiday resort, central Italy.

During the summer of 2003, a gastroenteritis outbreak spread throughout a holiday resort in central Italy. Fecally contaminated groundwater and seawater were leaking into the non-drinking-water system, which was found to be connected to the drinking-water system of a large resort. This contamination had a primary role in the onset of the outbreak and spread of the infection.

Presence of chemical additives and microbial inhibition capacity in grapefruit seed extracts used in apiculture.

American foulbrood, caused by Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae (White 1906) is one of the most serious diseases of honey bees, causing beekeepers and health workers to make difficult, complex decisions and leading to the development of 'organic' treatments, such as grapefruit seed extract, with minor residue problems in the end product. This study evaluates the chemical composition of grapefruit seed extracts using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for the detection of benzethonium chloride, cetrimonium bromide and decyltrimethylammonium chloride.