Prevalence, Antibiotics Susceptibility Profile of Listeria Monocytogenes, and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Millennium Health Center

Background: Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes serious invasive infections in pregnant women, resulting in disseminated fetal infections, abortions, and still-births. Although it causes a greater burden on pregnant women and their infants, the case in Ethiopia is overlooked, and there is a scarcity of data on L. monocytogenes, particularly in the southern parts of Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and, antibiotics susceptibility of L. monocytogenes and its associated risk factors among pregnant women attending the Millennium Health Center, Hawassa, Ethiopia. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 203 pregnant women between May 30 and July 30, 2022. Socio-demographic data and 5 ml venous blood samples were collected from pregnant women using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Bivariate logistic regression was carried out then variables with p<0.25 were further analyzed by multivariate logistic regressions, p-values <0.05 were accepted as statistically significant. Results: The overall prevalence of L. monocytogenes among pregnant women was found to be 11/203 (5.42%; 95% CI=2.88-9.38). L. monocytogenes was resistant to benzyl penicillin (90.91%) and meropenem (81.82%), but susceptible to ampicillin (90.91%). Raw meat (AOR=6.99; 95% CI=1.39-35.14), p=0.018), uncooked vegetables (AOR=6.62; 95% CI=1.04-42.30), p=0.046), unpasteurized milk (AOR=7.56; 95% CI=1.33-42.97), p=0.023) and fever (AOR=14.65; 95% CI=3.15-68.15), p=0.001) were significantly associated with L. monocytogenes infection. Conclusion: L. monocytogenes was resistant to benzyl penicillin, meropenem, erythromycin, and sulfamethoxazole but susceptible to ampicillin. Raw meat, uncooked vegetables, unpasteurized milk, and fever were significantly associated with L. monocytogenes.