Researchers at Purdue University have conducted cell research that indicates a pill could possibly defend humans against Listeria monocytogenes – the bacteria that caused an epic outbreak of foodborne illness last year across half of the United States. The Jensen Farms cantaloupe Listeria outbreak killed 31 people, making it the deadliest wave of food poisoning on record in America.
What the Purdue team found was that modified probiotics, the beneficial bacteria touted for their role in digestive health, could block Listeria’s traditional path into the bloodstream. The modification consisted of adding a certain Listeria protein to the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei.
When that happened, the researchers were able to decrease the number of Listeria cells that passed through intestinal cells by 46 percent, a significant decrease in the amount of the bacteria that could infect a susceptible person, Purdue said in a press release this week. The next step would be to test the therapy on animals.
“Based on the research, it looks very promising that we would get a significant reduction in Listeria infections,” said food science professor Arun Bhunia, whose findings were published this month in the journal PLoS One.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Listeria sickens about 800 people each year in the United States and primarily affects pregnant women, newborns, older adults and those with weakened immune systems.
Once in the bloodstream, even small doses of Listeria can cause fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea, as well as headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. It can also cause miscarriage and stillbirth in pregnant women.
