MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF LISTERIA SPP. STRAINS ISOLATED IN A BUTCHER'S SHOP ENVIRONMENT

• Grant number: 25/06448-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Products of Animal Origin Inspection
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Sossai Possebon
• Grantee: Lívia Moreira de Almeida
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Foodborne Diseases such as listeriosis are a major concern for global public health, with the WHO reporting 600 million cases and 420 thousand deaths annually. In Brazil, from 2014 to 2023, there were 6,874 FBD outbreaks, resulting in 121 deaths. Underreporting occurs due to lack of data and negligence by healthcare professionals or the affected individuals themselves. Food safety is essential, and agencies like ANVISA oversee the production and commercialization of food in Brazil. However, inspection is challenged by the high number of establishments and the complexity of quality control processes.Animal-derived products, especially those processed in establishments like butcher shops, pose a high risk of contamination by pathogens such as those of the Listeria genus, which are resistant to various environmental conditions and can form biofilms. L. monocytogenes is the bacterium responsible for listeriosis, a serious disease that affects immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and children. Transmission occurs mainly through contaminated food, and diagnosis is made through microbiological culture and PCR, which also identifies serotypes and virulence genes of the strains. Serotyping helps to understand the pathogenic potential and epidemiological profile of infections. This study aims to characterize at the molecular level the Listeria spp. strains isolated in butcher shops to assess the pathogenic potential and the serovars present in these environments. (AU)