Abstract:

Goat milk is an alternative food to sheep and cow milk which is widely consumed all over the world. In this study, it was aimed to determine the prevalence of virulent L. monocytogenes in raw goat milk samples produced in small scale farms located in Akçakale and Eyyubiye districts of Şanlıurfa province. 88 samples of raw goats’ milk were collected from six different farms. L. monocytogenes strains were isolated by the method of ISO 11290-1 and identified by Real-time PCR method using primer specific to hlyA gene region. Of the 88 raw goat milk samples analyzed in the study, 4 (4.54 %) were Listeria spp., and 2 (2.27 %) of them were identified as virulent L. monocytogenes. This study emphasizes that goat’s milk is contaminating with L. monocytogenes and heat treatment and hygiene rules should be considered.

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