Abstract
Listeriosis is an important bacterial zoonosis caused by the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. The disease has been reported in animals from the Indian subcontinent, usually in the form of sporadic cases but occasionally as outbreaks. Cases of listeriosis arise mainly from the ingestion of contaminated food. Listeriosis has been reported to cause encephalitis, abortion, mastitis, repeat breeding and endometriosis in animals. Listeric infections occur in children and women with a poor obstetric history. The epidemiological aspects and pathogenesis of listeriosis in animals and humans are not yet fully understood. This review offers comprehensive information on experimental studies and field cases in animals and on cases of human listeriosis. There are also sections on isolation from foods, diagnosis and treatment in humans and animals.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Bandekar, J., Kamat, A. and Thomas, P., 1998. Microbiological quality of the dairy product pedha and its improvement using gamma radiation. Journal of Food Safety, 18, 221-230
Banu Rekha, G., 1997. Virulence factor-based diagnosis of Listeria monocytogenes infection in goats, (MVSc thesis, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India)
Barbuddhe, S.B., 1996. Studies on the kinetics and efficacy of listeriolysin O in the serodiagnosis of Listeria monocytogenes infection, (PhD thesis, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India)
Barbuddhe, S.B., Malik, S.V.S. and Guptak L.K., 1998a. Effect of in vitro monocyte activation by listerial antigens on phagocytosis and production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen radicals in bovines. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 64, 149-159
Barbuddhe, S.B., Malik, S.V.S., Choudhary, S.P. and Gupta, L.K., 1998b. Kinetics of interferon gamma production and its comparison with anti-listeriolysin O detection in experimental bovine listeriosis. Veterinary Research Communications, 22, 505-516
Barbuddhe, S.B., Malik, S.V.S. and Kumar, P., 1999a. High seropositivity against anti-listeriolysin O in humans. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 93, 537-539
Barbuddhe, S.B., Malik, S.V.S., Bhatnagar Shomeer and Gupta, L.K., 1999b. Cytotoxic T-cell, delayed type hypersensitive and anti-listeriolysin O responses in experimental bovine listeriosis. Veterinary Microbiology, 64, 333-341
Barbuddhe, S.B., Chakurkar, E.B. and Swain, B.K., 1999c. Annual Scientific Report, ICAR Research Complex for Goa, Ela, Old Goa, India, pp. 60
Barbuddhe, S.B., Malik, S.V.S. and Gupta, L.K., 2000a. Kinetics of antibody production and clinical profiles of calves experimentally infected with Listeria monocytogenes. Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 47, 497-502
Barbuddhe, S.B., Malik, S.V.S., Bhilegaonkar, K.N., Prahlad Kumar and Gupta, L.K., 2000b. Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes and anti-listeriolysin O detection in sheep and goats. Small Ruminant Research, 38, 151-155
Ben Embarek, P.K., 1994. Presence, detection and growth of Listeria monocytogenes in seafoods: a review. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 23, 17-34
Bhilegaonkar, K.N., Kulshreshtha, S.B., Kapoor, K.N., Kumar Ashok, Agarwal, R.K. and Singh, B.R., 1997. Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from milk. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 34, 248-250
Bhujwala, R.A. and Hingorani, V., 1975. Perinatal listeriosis: a bacteriological and serological study. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 63, 1503-1508
Bhujwala, R.A., Hingorani, V. and Chandra, R.K., 1973. Genital listeriosis in Delhi: a pilot study. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 61, 1284-1287
Brahmbhatt, M.N. and Anjaria, J.M., 1993. Analysis of market meats for possible contamination with Listeria. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 63, 687
Butchaiah, G. and Khera, S.S., 1982. Studies on bacterial etiology of infectious abortions in farmstock. 2. Listeric abortion in sheep and goats. Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, 3, 138-143
Chand, P. and Sadana, J.R., 1999. Outbreak of Listeria ivanovii abortion in sheep in India. Veterinary Record, 145, 83-84
Chattopadhyay, S.K., Harbola, P.C. and Bhagwan, P.S.K., 1985. Infectious encephalitis in sheep and goats in a farm at Arid Zone in India. Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, 6, 127-132
Chaudhari, S.P., 1997. Studies on natural and experimental infection of buffaloes with pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes, (MVSc thesis, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India)
Chaudhari, S.P., Malik, S.V.S., Banu Rekha, G. and Barbuddhe, S.B., 2001. Detection of anti-listeriolysin O and Listeria monocytogenes in experimentally infected buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). Tropical Animal Health and Production, 33, 285-293
Dash, P.K., Malik, S.V.S., Sharma, A.K. and Paul, S., 1998. Management of circling syndrome in pigs. Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, 19, 102-103
Dhanda, M.R., Lall, J.M., Seth, R.N. and Chandrasekhariah, P., 1959. A case of listeric abortion in a ewe with a smallscale survey of the incidence of agglutinins of Listeria in the sera of sheep. Indian Veterinary Journal, 36, 113-124
Dhawan, K. and Dhall, S.R., 1963. Role of listerial infections of the genital tract in the causation of repeated abortions of chronic vaginal discharge. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of India, 13, 499-503
Dutta, P.K. and Malik, B.S., 1978. Some epidemiological studies on listeriosis in man and animals in India. Indian Journal of Public Health, 22, 321-322
Dutta, P.K. and Malik, B.S., 1981. Isolation and characterization of Listeria monocytogenes from animals and human beings. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 51, 1045-1052
Faryal, R., Bari, A. and Qazilbash, A.A., 1997. Effect of Listeria immune culture supernatant in protection of mice against Listeria monocytogenes. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 29, 225-230
Fuchs, R.S. and Surendran, P.K., 1989. Incidence of Listeria in tropical fish and fishery products. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 9, 49-51
Gomber, S., Revathi, G., Krishna, A. and Gupta, A., 1998. Perinephric abscess (presenting as abdominal pain) due to Listeria monocytogenes. Annals of Tropical Paediatrics, 18, 61-62
Gunasena, D.K., Kodikara, C.P., Gaepola, K. and Widanapathirana, S., 1995. Occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes in food in Sri Lanka. Journal of the National Council of Sri Lanka, 23, 107-114
Gupta, R., Chandra, R.K. and Hingorani, V., 1997. Listeriosis: an opportunistic infection. Indian Paediatrics, 34, 732-734
Gupta, B.L., Sharma, S.N. and Tanwani, S.K., 1980. Studies on experimental infection of sheep, goats, rabbits and mice, and serological response with Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4. The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 50, 739-743
Gupta, S.K., Srivastava, N.C. and Dhoble, R.L., 1984. Listeria infection in anoestrus cows and buffaloes: a serological assessment. Indian Journal of Animal Reproduction, 5, 72-73
Jain, U., Moghe, M.N. and Sharda, R., 1996. Isolation of bacteria associated with mortality in guinea pigs. Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, 17, 142-146
Jain, U., Moghe, M.N. and Sharda, R., 1997. Bacterial causes of mortality in rabbits. Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, 18, 59-63
Jayasekaran, G., Karunasagar, I. and Karunasagar, I., 1996. Incidence of Listeria sp. in tropical fish. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 31, 333-340
Johnson, J.L., Doyle, M.P. and Cassens, R.G., 1990. Incidence of Listeria spp. in retail meat roasts. Journal of Food Science, 55, 572-574
Jurado, R.L., Farley, M.M., Pereira, E., Harvey, R.C., Schuchat, A., Wanger, J.D. and Stephens, D.S., 1993. Increased risk of meningitis and bacteremia due to Listeria monocytogenes in patients with human immuno-deficiency virus infection. Clinical and Infectious Diseases, 17, 224-227
Kamat, A.A. and Nair, P.M., 1994. Incidence of Listeria species in Indian seafoods and meat. Journal of Food Safety, 14, 117-130
Kapur, M.P. and Sadana, J.R., 1974. Bacterial and mycotic infections associated with abortions and stillbirths in domestic animals with special reference to their prevalence in India. The Haryana Veterinarian, 13, 101-110
Karunasagar, I. and Karunasagar, I., 2000. Listeria in tropical fish and fishery products. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 62, 177-181
Karunasagar, I., Segar, K., Karunasagar, I. and Goebel, W., 1992. Incidence of Listeria species in tropical seafoods. In: Listeria 1992. 11th International Symposium on Problems of Listeriosis, May 1992, Copenhagen, Abstract 155
Katiyar, R.D., 1960. Listeriosis amongst sheep and goats in Uttar Pradesh. Indian Veterinary Journal, 37, 620-623
Kaufmann, S.H.E., 1993. Immunity to intracellular bacteria. Annual Review of Immunology, 11, 129-163
Korde, N.M., 1992. Studies on seroprevalence of Listeria monocytogenes infection in man and animals, (MVSc thesis, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar)
Krishna, U., Desai, M.W. and Daftary, V.G., 1966. Listeriosis: a clinico-bacteriological study. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of India, 16, 304-310
Kulshrestha, S.B., Paliwal, O.P. and Krishna, L., 1975. A note on listeric encephalitis in sheep. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 45, 804-806
Lhopital, S., Marty, J., Pardon, P., Berche, P., 1993. Kinetics of antibody production against listeriolysin-O in sheep with listeriosis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 31, 1537-1540
Low, J.C. and Donachie, W., 1997. A review of Listeria monocytogenes and listeriosis. The Veterinary Journal, 153, 9-29
Low, J.C., Davies, R.C. and Donachie, W., 1992. Purification of listeriolysin-O and development of an immunoassay for diagnosis of listeric infections in sheep. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 30, 2705-2708
Mahajan, M.R., 1936. Some observations on circling disease of sheep in Hyderabad state. Indian Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, 5, 350-354
Mahajan, A.K. and Katoch, R.C., 1997. Aerobic microflora associated with endometritis in sheep and goats. The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 67, 290-291
Manoj, Y.B., Rosalind, G.M., Karunasagar, I. and Karunasagar, I., 1991. Listeria in fish and fish handling areas, Mangalore, India. Asian Fisheries Science, 4, 119-122
Mishra, S.S. and Jaiswal, T.N., 1991. Transfer of delayed hypersensitivity and resistance to Listeria monocytogenes with murine dialysable lymphocyte extract. Indian Veterinary Journal, 68, 1101-1104
Mishra, S.S. and Jaiswal, T.N., 1992. Transfer of delayed hypersensitivity by dialysable lymphocyte extract from Listeria monocytogenes sensitized rabbits. Indian Veterinary Journal, 69, 1-4
Mishra, S.S. and Jaiswal, T.N., 1995. Cellular and humoral immune response to Listeria monocytogenes in rabbits. Indian Veterinary Journal, 69, 107-110
Nagi, M.S. and Verma, J.D., 1967. An outbreak of listeriosis in chickens. Indian Veterinary Journal, 44, 539-543
Namboothiripad, T.R.B., Kulshreshtha, S.B., Parihar, N.S. and Luktuke, S.N., 1978. Studies on infections in the genital tract of buffaloes. Kerala Journal of of Veterinary Science, 9, 320-330
Nigam, P., Katoch, R.C., Verma, S. and Batta, M.K., 1998a. Chemotherapeutic sensitivity profile of Listeria species from reproductive disorders of domestic animals. Indian Veterinary Journal, 75, 658-659
Nigam, P., Katoch, R.C., Batta, M.K. and Verma, S., 1998b. Listeria ivanovii from repeat breeding buffalo. Veterinariski Archives, 68, 59-62
Nigam, P., Katoch, R.C., Sharma, M. and Verma, S., 1999a. Investigations on listeriosis associated with reproductive disorders of domestic animals in Himachal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Animal Science, 69, 171-173
Nigam, P., Katoch, R.C., Joshi, V.B. and Verma, S., 1999b. Seroprevalence of Listeria monocytogenes serovars and Listeria ivanovii associated with infertility in animals. Indian Veterinary Journal, 76, 1046-1049
Osebold, J.W. and Aalund, O., 1968. Interpretation of serum agglutinating antibodies to Listeria monocytogenes by immunoglobulin differentiation. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 118, 139-148
Pandey, V.K. and Tripathy, S.B., 1978. Clinico pathological studies of bovine listeriosis. Indian Veterinary Journal, 55, 166-168
Parvaiz, S., 1989. Listeria agglutinins in aborted ewes. Livestock Advisor, 14, 39
Patil, N.A., Udupa, K.G., Kasaralikar, V.R., Prasanna Kumar, S., Rao, D.G.K. and Barbuddhe, S.B., 1998. Listerial abortion and encephalitis in a buffalo. Buffalo Bulletin, 17, 43
Pattnaik, P., Kar, B.C., Pati, P.K. and Roy, P.K., 1996. Microbiological analysis of fresh mutton in relation to public health. Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, 17, 28-31
Pednekar, M.D., Kamat, A.S. and Adhikari, H.R., 1997. Incidence of Listeria species in milk and milk products. Indian Journal of Dairy Science, 50, 142-151
Phadke, S.P., Bhagwat, S.V., Kapsikar, R.N. and Gheveri, S.D., 1979. Listeriosis in sheep and goats in Maharashtra. Indian Veterinary Journal, 56, 634-637
Pramod, N.P. and Ravindran, P.C., 1997. Listeria monocytogenes agglutinins in apparently healthy individuals in South India. Medical Science Research, 25, 175-177
Rahman, T., Sarma, D.K., Goswami, B.K., Upadhyaya, T.N. and Choudhary, B., 1985. Occurrence of listerial meningoencephalitis in pigs. Indian Veterinary Journal, 62, 7-9
Reddy, M.J., Pargaonkar, V.N. and Murthy, K.G., 1979. Normal bacterial flora of respiratory tract of ducks. The Indian Journal of Poultry Science, 14, 219-221
Rocourt, J., 1991. Human listeriosis 1989, (WHO/HPP/FOS/91.3), 1-27
Scott, P.R., 1993. A field study of ovine listerial meningo-encephalitis with particular reference to cerebrospinal fluid analysis as an aid to diagnosis and prognosis. British Veterinary Journal, 149, 165-170
Shah, N.M. and Dholakia, P.M., 1983. Microflora of the cervicovaginal mucus of Surti buffaloes and their drug resistance pattern. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 53, 147-150
Sharda, R., Moghe, M.N. and Tanwani, S.K., 1991. Antibiotic sensitivity pattern of bacteria isolated from repeat breeding animals. Indian Veterinary Journal, 68, 197-200
Sharma, M., Batta, M.K., Katoch, R.C., Asrani, R.K., Nagal, K.B., Joshi, V.B. and Sharma, M., 1996a. Listeria monocytogenes abortions among migratory sheep and goats in Himachal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 66, 1117-1119
Sharma, N.C., Barbuddhe, S.B. and Dhabale, R.B., 1996b. Dot-ELISA technique for testing Brucella and Listeria infections in bovines. Proceedings of 83rd Session of the Indian Science Congress, Patiala, 1996, 14-15
Shreshtha, S., Larsson, S. and Serchand, J., 1993. Bacterial and cryptosporidial infection as the cause of chronic diarrhoea in patients with liver disease in Nepal. Tropical Gastroenterology, 14, 55-58
Srivastava, N.C. and Khera, S.S., 1980. The prevalence of Listeria antibodies in farm stock. Indian Veterinary Journal, 57, 270-272
Srivastava, N.C., Gupta, S.K. and Uppal, P.K., 1985. Listeria monocytogenes infection in infertile cows. Indian Veterinary Journal, 62, 545-547
Stephen, S., Indrani, R., Achyutha Rao, K.N. and Padma Rao, A., 1978. Listeriosis and human abortions — including a review of literature. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of India, 28, 497-501
Thakur, S., 2000. Studies on listeric infections in organized farms, (MVSc thesis, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India)
Tripathi, D., Sharma, N.C., Malik, S.V.S., Singh, S.K. and Gupta, L.K., 2001. Serodiagnosis and treatment of listeriosis in repeat breeder cattle. The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 71, 3-4
Tuladhar, E. and Sharma, A.P., 1997. Bacteriological study of cheese of Kathmandu city. Journal of the Nepal Medical Association, 35, 26-29
Uppal, P.K., Shrivastava, N.C., Kumar, A.A. and Rao, S.H., 1981. Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from neurological disturbances in buffalo. Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, 2, 16-18
Vijayakrishna, S., Venkata Reddy, T., Varalakshmi, K. and Subramanyam, K.V., 2000. Listeriosis in broiler chicken. Indian Veterinary Journal, 77, 285-286
Vishwanathan, K.R., 1978. Serological studies with Listeria monocytogenes in sheep, (MVSc thesis, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India)
Vishwanathan, G.R. and Iyyar, V.V., 1950. Circling disease of sheep in the Madras State — etiology established. Indian Veterinary Journal, 26, 395
Vishwanathan, K.R. and Uppal, P.K., 1981. Isolation of Listeria from sheep. The Journal of the Remount and Veterinary Corps, 20, 127-130
Warke, R., Kamat, A., Kamat, M. and Thomas, P., 2000. Incidence of pathogenic psychrotrophs in ice creams sold in retail outlets in Mumbai, India. Food Control, 11, 77-83
WHO, 1988. Food borne listeriosis (update). Bulletin of World Health Organization, 66, 421-428
Yadava, R., Choudhary, S.P. and Narayan, K.G., 1985. Bacterial flora of market milk and its public health significance. Indian Journal of Dairy Science, 38, 235-236
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Malik, S., Barbuddhe, S. & Chaudhari, S. Listeric Infections in Humans and Animals in the Indian Subcontinent: A Review. Tropical Animal Health and Production 34, 359–381 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020051807594
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020051807594