Studies of the Detection of Listeria monocytogenes by Culture and PCR in Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples from Ruminants with Listeric Encephalitis

Abstract

Summary A total of 14 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from ruminants clinically suspected of suffering from listeric encephalitis were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes (L. m.). Of these samples, 11 were examined bacteriologically. Although the clinical diagnosis was confirmed in eight of 11 ruminants by histological and/or bacteriological examination of the brains, L. m. was only detected in one of the CSF samples using PCR, and in none by culture. The PCR‐positive CSF sample was obtained from a sheep which had been treated with antibiotics prior to CSF sampling. From these findings, it was concluded that L. m. only occasionally gains access to the meningoventricular system in the course of listeric encephalitis of ruminants and that a reliable aetiological in vivo diagnosis of listeric encephalitis generally cannot be based on the detection of L. m. in the CSF of affected ruminants.

Listeria monocytogenessepticaemia in foals

“…We speculate that this foal had L. monocytogenes encephalitis as demonstrated by clinical signs of central nervous system disease, isolation of the organism on blood culture and evidence of suppurative inflammation in the cerebrospinal fluid. In ruminants affected by L. monocytogenes encephalitis, isolation of the organism from the CSF is usually unrewarding because the organism only occasionally gains access to the ventricular system (Peters et al 1995). Detection of L. monocytogenes in the CSF of human patients is possible with the use of a polymerase chain reaction assay (Jaton et al 1992).…”

Metabolic profiling of listeria rhombencephalitis in small ruminants by 1H high‐resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy

“…In blood and CSF cultures, LM is isolated in only 60% and 30%–40% of human patients, respectively . Bacterial cultures from CSF and blood are usually negative in ruminants . In both humans and ruminants, early diagnosis is particularly important to initiate appropriate treatment with antibiotics and to improve the outcome …”

Listeria monocytogenes infection in ruminants: Is there a link to the environment, food and human health? A review

“…Pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as well as a positive response to antibiotic treatment provide only unspecific support to a preliminary clinical diagnosis. As opposed to humans, neither isolation nor PCR detection of L. monocytogenes in animal CSF has been successful and hence do not provide a reliable diagnosis tool (Peters et al, 1995). Definitive diagnosis of neurolisteriosis still requires post mortem detection of characteristic histological lesions and/or isolation of L. monocytogenes from brain tissue.…”