Schlech W F
Clin Invest Med. 1984;7(4):321-4.
The route or mechanism of transmission of Listeria monocytogenes from its rural veterinary reservoir to newborn and older human populations has been obscure. Anecdotal reports of milk-borne infection from cows with Listeria mastitis have been published, but intensive investigations of small outbreaks of L. monocytogenes infections in humans have not supported a gastrointestinal mode of infection. Several recent studies, however, strongly suggest this possibility, and case-control studies of epidemic listeriosis in the Canadian Maritime provinces in 1981 documented an association between ingestion of uncooked vegetables and the development of illness (p = 0.02). In that study, coleslaw from a regional producer which was distributed throughout the Maritimes was considered to be the vehicle of transmission. Cabbage, the raw product in the production of coleslaw, was contaminated at a farm prior to arrival at the plant. Contamination occurred through fertilization with raw manure from a flock of sheep known to harbour L. monocytogenes. Therefore, an indirect link was established between Listeria monocytogenes infection of sheep on a cabbage farm and subsequent development of invasive listeriosis in humans. This study supports findings from other epidemiologic studies of human listeriosis and is consistent with results of investigations into the mode of transmission of natural and laboratory-acquired listeriosis in animals.
单核细胞增生李斯特菌从其在农村兽医环境中的储存宿主传播至新生儿及年长人群的途径或机制一直不明。曾有关于患李斯特菌乳腺炎奶牛的乳汁传播感染的传闻报道，但针对人类单核细胞增生李斯特菌感染小规模暴发的深入调查并不支持胃肠道感染模式。然而，最近的几项研究强烈表明了这种可能性，并且1981年在加拿大沿海省份进行的流行性李斯特菌病病例对照研究记录了食用生蔬菜与发病之间的关联（p = 0.02）。在该研究中，一家区域生产商生产的、分销至整个沿海省份的凉拌卷心菜被认为是传播媒介。凉拌卷心菜的原料卷心菜在抵达工厂之前在一个农场被污染。污染是通过用已知携带单核细胞增生李斯特菌的一群绵羊的生粪便施肥造成的。因此，在一个卷心菜农场绵羊的单核细胞增生李斯特菌感染与随后人类侵袭性李斯特菌病的发生之间建立了间接联系。这项研究支持了其他关于人类李斯特菌病的流行病学研究结果，并且与对动物自然感染和实验室获得性李斯特菌病传播方式的调查结果一致。
