Dataset Information

Whole-Genome Sequences of Listeria monocytogenes Sequence Type 6 Isolates Associated with a Large Foodborne Outbreak in South Africa, 2017 to 2018.

ABSTRACT: We report whole-genome sequences for 10 Listeria monocytogenes sequence type 6 isolates associated with a large listeriosis outbreak in South Africa, which occurred over the period of 2017 to 2018. The possibility of listeriosis spreading beyond South Africa's borders as a result of exported contaminated food products prompted us to make the genome sequences publicly available.

SUBMITTER: Allam M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6013608 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Whole-Genome Sequences of Listeria monocytogenes Sequence Type 6 Isolates Associated with a Large Foodborne Outbreak in South Africa, 2017 to 2018.

Allam Mushal M Tau Nomsa N Smouse Shannon L SL Mtshali Phillip S PS Mnyameni Florah F Khumalo Zamantungwa T H ZTH Ismail Arshad A Govender Nevashan N Thomas Juno J Smith Anthony M AM

Genome announcements 20180621 25

We report whole-genome sequences for 10 <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> sequence type 6 isolates associated with a large listeriosis outbreak in South Africa, which occurred over the period of 2017 to 2018. The possibility of listeriosis spreading beyond South Africa's borders as a result of exported contaminated food products prompted us to make the genome sequences publicly available. ...[more]

PMID: 29930052

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Project description:In South Africa, a progressive increase in listeriosis cases was noted from mid-June 2017, heralding what was to become the world's largest listeriosis outbreak. A total of 1060 cases were reported for the period January 1, 2017 to July 17, 2018. We describe laboratory activities, experiences, and results of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis of Listeria monocytogenes isolates associated with this outbreak. Bacteria were identified using the VITEK-2 COMPACT 15 microbial identification system. WGS was performed using Illumina MiSeq technology. WGS data were analyzed using CLC Genomics Workbench Software and free-to-use on-line analysis tools/pipelines. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) showed that 91% of clinical isolates were sequence type 6 (ST6), determining that the outbreak was largely associated with L. monocytogenes ST6. Epidemiological and laboratory findings led to investigation of a large ready-to-eat processed meat production facility in South Africa, named Enterprise Foods. L. monocytogenes ST6 was found in environmental sampling swabs of the production facility and in ready-to-eat processed meat products (including polony, a product similar to bologna sausage) manufactured at the facility. ST6 isolates, sourced at the Enterprise Foods production facility and from Enterprise food products, were shown by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis to be highly related to clinical isolates; these nonclinical ST6 isolates showed <10 SNP differences when compared to clinical ST6 isolates. Core-genome MLST showed that clinical ST6 isolates and Enterprise-related ST6 isolates had no more than 4 allele differences between each other, suggestive of a high probability of epidemiological relatedness. WGS data interpreted together with epidemiological data concluded that the source of the listeriosis outbreak was ready-to-eat processed meat products manufactured by Enterprise Foods. Listeriosis has now been added to the South African list of mandatory notifiable medical conditions. Surveillance systems have been strengthened to facilitate prevention and early detection of listeriosis outbreaks.

Project description:Food-borne disease outbreaks are common and offer valuable insights into the causes, impacts, and mechanisms underlying food pathogens. This also serves as a good foundation to validate the performance of current best practice control methods, for example antibiotics, that are used in the fight against food pathogens. Listeriosis outbreaks, caused by Listeria monocytogenes, is no exception. In 2018, South Africa experienced the largest global listeriosis outbreak recorded to date. However, despite the scale of this outbreak, information on the bacterium and its resistance towards antibiotics is still severely lacking. Furthermore, until now it remained to be determined whether L. monocytogenes antibiotic resistance patterns in South Africa mirror resistance patterns elsewhere in the world. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the efficacy of antibiotics that are currently used against L. monocytogenes. Using the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) disc diffusion method, L. monocytogenes isolates (n = 177) from diverse origins in the Western Cape, South Africa (clinical, food, and environment) were tested for susceptibility against five different antibiotics, namely ampicillin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, and tetracycline. Isolates were collected over a period of two years (2017-2019). All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, the currently recommended antibiotic, while a large number of isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, and tetracycline. Also, patterns of resistance observed here are different to patterns observed elsewhere. The findings of this study demonstrate that it is imperative to continuously monitor the efficacy of currently recommended antibiotics, since resistance patterns can quickly develop when such antibiotics are overutilized, and secondly, that it is crucial to assess local antibiotic resistance patterns in conjunction with global patterns, since the latter is not necessarily generalizable to local scales.

Dataset Information

Whole-Genome Sequences of Listeria monocytogenes Sequence Type 6 Isolates Associated with a Large Foodborne Outbreak in South Africa, 2017 to 2018.

Publications

Whole-Genome Sequences of Listeria monocytogenes Sequence Type 6 Isolates Associated with a Large Foodborne Outbreak in South Africa, 2017 to 2018.

Similar Datasets

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