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LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES: OCCURRENCE IN DAIRY PRODUCTS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS IN PUBLIC HEALTH

ABSTRACT

Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, a serious foodborne disease that promotes severe human infections with high mortality rates. Milk and byproducts are among the food products most often involved in the transmission of L. monocytogenes. Listeriosis mainly affects immunodepressed individuals, pregnant women, neonates and the elderly, thus emphasizing its opportunistic character and importance to public health. The present article presents a narrative and critical review concerning the risk to human health from the consumption of dairy products contaminated with L. monocytogenes. Also, a discussion is made on the factors that determine the contamination by L. monocytogenes in the production and distribution chain of milk and dairy products. The available data on the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in raw milk and dairy products in Brazil are also presented and evaluated, taking into consideration its potential for involvement in human listeriosis outbreaks. Additionally, this review indicates the main research and work areas needed for the prevention of L. monocytogenes contamination in dairy products.

KEY WORDS
Foodborne diseases; listeriosis; dairy products

Instituto Biológico Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves, 1252 - Vila Mariana - São Paulo - SP, 04014-002 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: arquivos@biologico.sp.gov.br