Integrated Surveillance for Listeria Outbreaks: Bridging Human and Livestock Health

Dear Editor, The increasing incidence of zoonotic diseases needs the urgently of addressed the correlation between human and animal health. Among these zoonotic pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) causes listeriosis, which has the ability to cause severe health complications, including spontaneous abortions (SA) in pregnant women and encephalitis in immunosuppressed individuals. Its association with livestock, particularly household cattle such as cow, goat, sheep, and buffalo, focuses on the need for an integrated approach to surveillance and prevention. L. monocytogenes in approximately 10% of dairy cattle samples, highlighting the presence of bacteria in the environments and surrounding of livestock’s.[1] Furthermore, the hospitalization rate for listeriosis has exceeded 90% and a mortality rate of 20–30%, demonstrating that it is one of the most severe foodborne diseases. These concerning epidemiological ratios show the need of implementing strong surveillance systems that integrate in human and animal health field to reduce the effect of listeriosis.[2] Integrated surveillance strategies provide early and rapid detection of L. monocytogenes by incorporating data from different sources, such as routine testing of cattle feces or stool, milk, and surrounding environmental samples from dairy farms.[3] Routine screening or testing in cattle or dairy farms significantly reduces the risk of listeriosis cases in human populations that are in close association with farm animals.[1] A surveillance program that successfully reduced listeriosis cases by 63% by incorporating livestock monitoring into public health frameworks.[3] The One Health approach offers a strategy for facing L. monocytogenes contamination or infection, which promotes the collaboration between veterinarians, public health professionals, and scientists to share data. Testing dairy farms and human clinical cases together found identical Listeria strains, which helped to quickly stop the outbreak.[4] Implementing integrated surveillance faces challenges, such as funding constraints and logistical problems. The lack of standardized protocols for testing and screening in resource-constrained settings creates challenges for healthcare providers for accurate diagnosis. Without clear guidelines, healthcare providers can struggle to arrange most essential tests, leading to inefficiencies in the healthcare system. Addressing these challenges requires investment in infrastructure and capacity building, particularly in rural areas where livestock–human interactions are the most frequent.[3,5] In conclusion, an integrated surveillance program, such as the One Health concept bridges human and livestock health, is essential for the early detection and prevention of L. monocytogenes outbreaks. Such systems not only protect public health, but also enhance and improve understanding of the pattern of zoonotic diseases. By adopting a One Health approach, human and animal health professionals can create strong and useful strategies to mitigate the increasing incidence of listeriosis between human and animal health to protect future public health. Author contributions AKB contributed to the conception or design of the work, drafting of the work, approval of the final version of the manuscript, and agreed on all aspects of the work. NJB contributed to the literature review, revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, approval of the final version of the manuscript, and agreed to all aspects of the work. SB contributed to the literature review, revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, approval of the final version of the manuscript, and agreed to all aspects of the work. ON contributed to the literature review, revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, approval of the final version of the manuscript, and agreed to all aspects of the work. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflict of interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.