Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance of Listeria Monocytogenes in Chicken Meat Retailers in Yazd, Iran

Introduction: Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogen bacteria transmitted by food stuffs. Due to the lack of information about contamination of retail chicken meat to Listeria monocytogenes in Iran, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of this bacterium in retail chicken meat in Yazd, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from January 2018 to June 2018 on 811 randomly selected samples from four districts located in Yazd city, Iran. Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes was performed using enrichment and selective culture media as well as biochemical tests. The positive samples were confirmed by PCR assay. Results: In total, 247 samples (30.5%) were infected with one of the Listeria strains. Among the 247 samples, the isolates were 68 (27%) L. monocytogenes, 155 (63%) L. innocua, 5 (2%) L. seeligeri, 19 (8%) L. ivanovii. In the current study, the antibiotic resistance of positive samples was also evaluated that Listeria spp., especially Listeria monocytogenes were resistant to tetracycline and penicillin. Conclusions: The presence of this pathogenic microorganism in chicken meat can be a health risk, especially for pregnant women, the elderly, and those with immune deficiency. Considering the amount of contamination with L.monocytogenes in chicken and the high mortality rate caused by it, observance of the health principles and standards during the production, transportation, maintenance, and supply phases as well as training of employees in this industry are necessary.