Incidence of Listeria spp. in raw milk in Shahrekord, Iran.

Listerosis may be transmitted by direct contact with infected animals or by consumption of contaminated vegetables, meat, or milk products. Raw milk samples obtained from the Milk Industry Foundation, five private dairy companies, and individual dairy farms in Shahrekord, Iran, were tested for the presence of Listeria species. A total of 500 raw milk samples were analyzed by two-stage enrichment techniques. Identification of isolated Listeria was done using the Micro-ID Listeria Kit (Remel, Lenexa, KS). The overall incidence of Listeria species in raw milk was 2.2%. L. monocytogenes was found in 1.6% of the raw milk samples, while L. innocua was found in 0.6% of the samples. Additional studies are needed to assess the public health impact of contaminated milk in Shahrekord.