The pathogenicity of Listeria monocytogenes

Species and serovars of the genus Listeria lsolated from different sources in Brazil from 1971 to 1997

“…The data also demonstrated the resistance of Listeria in soil and the occurrence of contamination from animal hosts, especially in effluents from abattoirs. ln summary, the results obtained till now agree with those reported in several parts of the world (Rocourt & Seeliger 1985, Schuchat et al 1991, Farber & Peterkin 1991, Low & Donachie 1997, McLauchlin 1997, Rocourt et al 1997, demonstrating that members of the genus Listeria are widely disseminated in various ecological systems and epidemiological cycles, in which food represents a common vehicle of transmission to countless sources of infection. This agrees with Jacquet et al (1995) who emphasized the importance of the information obtained rapidly and in a relativeiy easy manner by phenotyping, and showed that this method is indispensable and should precede more refined analyses of a genotypic nature.…”

“…These problems were actually observed in a part of the present sampling (107 cultures), mostly from human source origin, 79 of which (73.8%) permitted the recognition of lysotypes, with serovar 4b and 1/2a making up 78.3% and 63.1% of the typable samples, respectively (Nunes 1990). Epidemiologically, the distribution of L. monocytogenes serovars (Table III) demonstrates the prevalence of 4b serotypes from human origin and from food, differently from data reported by Nicolas et al (1989), Farber and Peterkin (1991) and McLauchlin (1997). These investigators reported that most part of Europe the serogroup 1/2 predominates in foods of any kind, with the emergence of serovar 1/2c (Rocourt 1988).…”

“…ln a world calculation involving 29 events of outbreaks and of sporadic cases of toxinfection, McLauchlin (1997) reported the presence of serovar 4b and serogroup 4 in 72.4% of the events, as in opposition to a 27.5% frequency of serotypes 1/2a and 1/2b.…”

“…The constituents of the genus Listeria are widely distributed in nature, although with a limited number of species of medical and veterinary importance (Schuchat et al 1991, Low & Donachie 1997, McLauchlin 1997. Currently, listeriosis is considered to be an emergent disease, with its agent, L. monocytogenes, being mainly transmitted by food (Farber & Peterkin 1991).…”

Occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes in cheese and ice cream produced in the State of Paraná, Brazil

“…Microorganisms of the genus Listeria are widely distributed in nature, although with a limited number of species of medical and veterinary significance (Schuchat et al, 1991;Low, Donachie, 1997;McLauchlin, 1997).…”