A new study by the University of Pretoria (UP) researchers has raised alarm bells about a possible new outbreak of listeriosis in South Africa.
Gauteng, the economic hub of the country and the most densely populated province, has recorded the highest cases of listeria-causing bacteria with the experts warning of danger of human exposure to the life-threatening disease.
The study, funded by the Red Meat Research and Development South Africa and conducted by the UP’s faculty of veterinary science and the Agricultural Research Council – Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC-OVI), found that 4.6% of chilled carcasses sampled in seven abattoirs in Gauteng were contaminated with a listeriosis-causing pathogen, listeria monocytogenes.
The study – conducted in three provinces; Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West – found the prevalence of listeria-causing bacteria in chilled carcasses in all three provinces.
“This means that the contaminated carcasses have the potential to enter the food chain as beef and beef products sold at retail outlets in the provinces,” said the university in a statement on Tuesday.
“Most human cases are associated with the consumption of ready-to-eat foods; the risk of illness increases with the number of cells ingested.
“The pathogen is able to survive and multiply at the refrigerated temperatures at which foods are stored to prevent spoilage,” UP said.
Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen that causes listeriosis, which is a life-threatening disease, especially to pregnant women, as it can cause miscarriage and stillbirth.
South Africa had an outbreak of listeriosis in 2017 and 2018 which caused the deaths of 216 people. Processed meats, in particular polony, were suspected to be the main source of the outbreak.
The new UP study was conducted in 2019 to 2020 by researchers in the UP’s department of production animal studies headed by Dr Rebone Moerane.
The researchers recommend that the government and industry implement strict food safety measures at abattoirs and processing plants to reduce contamination and lower the possibility of another listeriosis outbreak.
“Processed food become contaminated by contact with equipment, the handling of raw products, or from post-processing settings in which the pathogens can survive despite routine disinfectants,” said Moerane.
“Because of potential contamination during slaughter, carcasses can become contaminated, leading to contaminated meat and meat products,” she said, “A wide variety of foods, including beef, pork, poultry and milk-based products have been reported to harbour the pathogen and cause listeriosis among consumers.”
The positive news is that the pathogen can be treated with antibiotics.
“However, the high occurrence of multi-drug resistant strains of Listeria monocytogenes cannot be ignored as they may pause therapeutic challenges,” said one of the researchers professor Abiodun Adesiyn.
Dr Nomakorinte Gcebe of the ARC-OVI was also in the team that conducted the research plus four postgraduate students.
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