Epidemiology Pathogenesis Ecology and Genetics of Listeria monocytogenes

Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Ecology and Genetics of Listeria monocytogenesfrom Sangmi Lee, Robin M. Siletzky and Sophia Kathariou writing in Foodborne and Waterborne Bacterial Pathogens: Epidemiology, Evolution and Molecular Biology:Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive foodborne pathogen that causes a severe, potentially fatal illness (listeriosis) in animals and humans. The only human pathogen within the genus Listeria, this bacterium is equipped with sophisticated mechanisms to invade mammalian cells and proliferate inracellularly. Population genetics data indicate that some groups of L. monocytogenes are more frequently associated with human listeriosis. However, the ecology and potentially unique characteristics of such groups remain to be elucidated. This review discusses recent advances in the epidemiology of listeriosis and epidemic-associated clonal groups; the characterization of pathogenicity of L. monocytogenes; the evolution of Listeria species and L. monocytogenes; and the increasingly recognized importance of Listeria phages in the ecology of L. monocytogenes in food processing facilities.Further reading: Foodborne and Waterborne Bacterial Pathogens: Epidemiology, Evolution and Molecular Biology
Source: Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. - Category: Microbiology Source Type: blogs