A listeria food poisoning alarm has
been raised in several Italian regions over a batch of chicken
wurstel sausages reportedly containing the bug.
"The attention remains high following a rise in clinical cases
of food listeriosis registered in several Italian regions, due
to contamination by the Listeria bacterium," the health ministry
said.
An investigation has uncovered a correlation between some of the
clinical cases and the presence of the bacterium in chicken
wϋrstels produced by the company Agricola Tre Valli, the
ministry said.
The presence of the Listeria ST 155 strain has also been
confirmed by sampling carried out at the plant.
Te company has taken all steps to safeguard the public by
withdrawing the batches that have come out positive and,
applying the principle of maximum precaution, also pulling all
those produced before September 12 this year.
Investigations are also continuing into other products that
might be linked to the human cases of listeriosis.
Listeria monocytogenes is the species of pathogenic bacteria
that causes the infection listeriosis. It is a facultative
anaerobic bacterium, capable of surviving in the presence or
absence of oxygen.
It can grow and reproduce inside the host's cells and is one of
the most virulent foodborne pathogens: 20 to 30% of foodborne
listeriosis infections in high-risk individuals may be fatal.
In the European Union, listeriosis follows an upward trend that
began in 2008, causing 2,161 confirmed cases and 210 reported
deaths in 2014, 16% more than in 2013. Listeriosis mortality
rates are also higher in the EU than for other foodborne
pathogens.
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