Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a ubiquitous bacterium that causes listeriosis, a serious foodborne illness. In the nature-to-human transmission route, Lm can prosper in various ecological niches. Soil and decaying organic matter are its primary reservoirs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: represents a considerable public concern worldwide, with farm animals often recognised as an important reservoir. This study gives an overview of the prevalence and serotype diversity of over a 5-year period in the meat production chain in Estonia. Data on human salmonellosis over the same period are provided.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study is a significant contribution to L. monocytogenes risk analysis. L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFShiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 was isolated from 30 (4%) of 744 cattle hide swab samples collected at Estonian slaughterhouses within a 3-year monitoring program of zoonotic pathogens. The isolates were characterized by determining the presence of STEC main virulence factors, the antimicrobial resistance profiles, and the genetic relatedness by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Thirteen strains carried the stx2 gene alone and 17 both the stx1 and stx2 genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe resistance patterns of Campylobacter spp. isolated from retail broiler chicken meat originating either from Estonia, Lithuania or Latvia collected in Estonia were determined. Additionally, in collaboration with the laboratories of several Estonian hospitals, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were determined for Campylobacter isolates from patients with severe Campylobacter enteric infections.
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