Risk of acquiring listeriosis from consumption of chicken offal among high risk group

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes causes mild foodborne infection in healthy adults but serious complication in high risk group such as infant, pregnant women, immunocompromised and elderly. This study aims to estimate the probability of infection based on the survivability of L. monocytogenes in chicken offal, particularly chicken liver, gizzard and heart. A total of 20 µl of L. monocytogenes with inoculum size of 9.02 log CFU/ml was spiked on the chicken offal and stored at room temperature (28oC) for 0, 1, 3, and 6 h. This experimental design was aimed to simulate the contaminated chicken offal stored at temperature danger zone. It was found that chicken offal supported the growth of L. monocytogenes that it significantly grows at 3 and 6 h incubation. Risk assessment was performed by combining this result with the data from our previous studies as well as data from government agencies and other studies. Dose-response model was used to estimate the probability of listeria infection per year. Immunocompromised was the highest risk group, followed by pregnant women, elderly and general population with probability of infection per year estimated at 3.78 x 10-3, 1.76 x 10-4, 5.68 x 10-8 and 5.75 x 10-9, respectively. It can be concluded that high risk group requires extra caution in their food consumption in order to prevent listeriosis which can result in serious complication and death.