Study of the frequency of hlyAgene in Listeria monocytogenesisolated from Freshvegetables using PCR

Listeria monocytogenesis an important psychotropic foodborne pathogen which may exist in fresh vegetables. Vegetables and their derivatives show a potential role in the transmission of Listeria to humans and epidemy of listeriosis. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of L. monocytogenesand to find out the frequency of hlyAgene in raw vegetables in Shahrekord، Iran. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 145 samples collected from vegetables market outlets in Shahrekord. Isolation of L. monocytogeneswas performed using specific medium. PCR was performed using hlyAgene specific primers. Also، all of the 145 samples were tested directly using PCR Totally، 56% of the samples were positive for Listeria in culture method. However، based on PCR، 56% out of 145 samples were infected to Listeria. Furthermore، hlyAgene was found in 67% of Listeria. The results indicate that the frequency of L. monocytogenesin the vegetablessamples of this region is relatively high.