In terms of deaths-per-infection, this year’s Listeria outbreak in cantaloupes ranks as the deadliest foodborne illness outbreak in U.S. history, killing 31 of the 146 people infected and causing one miscarriage. A new discovery by a team of researchers at Cornell University, however, could eventually lead to therapeutic solutions that the team hopes would treat Listeria infections and fight deadly outbreaks.
In a study published by microbiology journal mBio on November 29, the Cornell team has identified a small antibiotic compound that stops Listeria from using the defense mechanisms that allow it to survive stomach acids and the other perils of human digestion and food processing.
The star compound, mercifully abbreviated as “FPSS” (for fluoro-phenyl-styrene-sulfonamide) works by stopping the Listeria bacteria from switching on its defenses when it comes under stress. The bacteria’s repertoire of defenses are controlled by an alternative sigma factor (a protein that acts as a “switch” for certain genes) called Sigma B. In the presence of FPSS, Sigma B fails to do its job, resulting in bacteria that can no longer survive being eaten.
FoodWorld 