French scientists from the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRAE) have learned to find the bacteria that cause listeriosis when they are dormant. The study was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications (NatComms).
Listeriosis is one of the most severe forms of foodborne bacterial infection, with a mortality rate of up to 30%. It is caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which is ubiquitous in the environment.
These pathogens are able to enter a state of hibernation, becoming invisible to standard testing in the hospital and food industry. Then listeria can re-awaken, creating a health threat.
Detection tests commonly used to verify the absence of germs in hospitals or the agri-food industry are based on microbial growth, which is the laboratory cultivation of microorganisms from the sample being tested. If no microorganisms appear during the cultivation process, the sample is considered safe.
In the new study, the team hibernated Listeria using water. It turned out that when going into hibernation, the microbe loses its original shape and becomes round. Despite the loss of its protective cell wall, the microorganism adapts to its environment by modifying its membrane and producing specific proteins.
Scientists have developed antibodies that can find inactive L. monocytogenes bacteria by targeting the substances they produce. In the future, this will make it possible to develop special tests for identifying hidden pathogens.
