Molecular Subtyping to Detect Human Listeriosis Clusters

Conclusion

Conventional surveillance for listeriosis and other foodborne diseases often relies upon species or serotype characterization to define reportable conditions, yet for many organisms genotyping can provide improved discrimination below the species or serotype level. In conjunction with statistical analyses, routine genotyping allowed us to identify a considerable number of putative temporal clusters of listeriosis. Our data show that 13% of reported human listeriosis cases in New York State represented epidemiologically supported single-source, multicase clusters. On the basis of molecular subtyping data alone, as many as 31% of the listeriosis cases may have represented clusters. We propose that a considerable number of human listeriosis cases may occur in clusters, many or some of which may represent single-source outbreaks that in the past went undetected. The combined use of molecular subtyping methods, statistical data analysis, and epidemiologic investigations thus may further improve our ability to detect human listeriosis outbreaks.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2010 plan calls for a reduction of human listeriosis from 0.5 to 0.25 cases per 100,000 by the year 2010.^[44] Efforts to reduce Listeria species in the processing environment appear to have reduced the incidence of listeriosis from a peak of 0.8 cases per 100,000 in the early 1990s, but the incidence has remained at approximately 0.3-0.6 cases per 100,000 since 1996.^[7,45] Our study suggests that single-source clusters represent a much larger number of listeriosis cases than previously assumed. We provide a model for an integrated, statistically based, molecular subtyping approach to identifying putative foodborne listeriosis clusters. In conjunction with broad-based collection of conventional epidemiologic data, this approach may allow for more rapid detection of even smaller outbreaks, which currently are often unrecognized. Rapid cluster detection can help detect and eliminate outbreak sources and prevent additional cases, thus providing an opportunity to reduce the overall incidence of foodborne listeriosis. Improved outbreak detection furthermore will provide an opportunity to better define the specific food sources of human listeriosis cases.

Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2003;9(6) © 2003 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Cite this: Molecular Subtyping to Detect Human Listeriosis Clusters - Medscape - Jun 01, 2003.