Longitudinal Monitoring of Listeria monocytogenes Contamination Patterns in a Farmstead Dairy Processing Facility

Abstract

Contamination of dairy products with Listeria monocytogenes is a concern because multiple human listeriosis outbreaks have been linked to contaminated cheese and dairy products. Dairy production on farmstead operations may be a particular concern because L. monocytogenes is also an animal pathogen that can be shed by ruminants with and without clinical symptoms; physical proximity between production animal and dairy processing facilities may thus provide a higher risk for introduction of L. monocytogenes into the dairy production process. To better understand the risks of L. monocytogenes contamination associated with farmstead dairy production, samples from a farmstead dairy processing operation and the milking barn of the directly adjacent dairy sheep operation were tested for L. monocytogenes over a 3-yr period. Prevalence of L. monocytogenes for samples collected on the farm (n = 85) and the dairy production facility (n = 674) was 9.4 and 2.7%, respectively. Molecular subtyping using automated EcoRI ribotyping of L. monocytogenes isolates revealed that distinct subtypes were associated with the dairy production facility and the farm's milking parlor. Although a total of 5 and 4 different ribotypes were identified among isolates obtained from the dairy production facility and the milking parlor, respectively, only 1 ribotype (DUP-1030A) was isolated from both. Different ribotypes were predominant among isolates from the dairy production facility (ribotype DUP-1052A, representing 15 of 18 isolates) and the farm's milking parlor (ribotype DUP-1039A, representing 4 of 8 isolates); each of these ribotypes appeared to persist over time in the respective area. Our data support that i) in farmstead dairy processing facilities, L. monocytogenes present on the farm can largely be prevented from being introduced into the processing facility; and ii) L. monocytogenes can persist on farm and in processing areas, providing a potential high-risk source for contamination. Preventing cross contamination between dairy production and processing facilities and control of persistent L. monocytogenes are thus critical to assuring the microbial safety of farmstead dairy products.