Listeria monocytogenes is the species of pathogenic bacteria that causes the infection listeriosis. It is a facultative anaerobic bacterium, capable of surviving in the presence or absence of oxygen. It can grow and reproduce inside the host's cells and is one of the most virulent foodborne pathogens. Twenty to thirty percent of foodborne listeriosis infections in high-risk individuals may be fatal. In the European Union, listeriosis continues an upward trend that began in 2008, causing 2,161 confirmed cases and 210 reported deaths in 2014, 16% more than in 2013. In the EU, listeriosis mortality rates also are higher than those of other foodborne pathogens. Responsible for an estimated 1,600 illnesses and 260 deaths in the United States annually, listeriosis ranks third in total number of deaths among foodborne bacterial pathogens, with fatality rates exceeding even Salmonella spp. and Clostridium botulinum.
Listeria is a genus of bacteria that acts as an intracellular parasite in mammals. By 2024, 28 species had been identified. The genus is named in honour of the British pioneer of sterile surgery Joseph Lister. Listeria species are Gram-positive, rod-shaped, and facultatively anaerobic, and do not produce endospores.
Listeria ivanovii is a species of bacteria in the genus Listeria. The listeria are rod-shaped bacteria, do not produce spores, and become positively stained when subjected to Gram staining. Of the six bacteria species within the genus, L. ivanovii is one of the two pathogenic species. In 1955 Bulgaria, the first known isolation of this species was found from sheep. It behaves like L. monocytogenes, but is found almost exclusively in ruminants. The species is named in honor of Bulgarian microbiologist Ivan Ivanov. This species is facultatively anaerobic, which makes it possible for it to go through fermentation when there is oxygen depletion.
Listeria marthii is a species of bacteria. It is a Gram-positive, motile, facultatively anaerobic, non-spore-forming bacillus. It is non-pathogenic, and non-hemolytic. The species was first isolated from Finger Lakes National Forest in New York. It is named after Elmer H. Marth, a researcher of L. monocytogenes, and was first published in 2010. L. marthii was the first new species of Listeria proposed since 1985.
Listeria rocourtiae is a species of bacteria. It is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, motile, non-spore-forming bacillus. It is non-pathongenic and non-hemolytic. The species was first isolated from pre-cut lettuce in Salzburg, Austria in 2002. It is named in honor of Jocelyne Rocourt, "whose work had a major impact on the taxonomy of the genus Listeria."
Listeria aquatica is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, nonmotile, non-spore-forming rod-shaped species of bacteria. It is not pathogenic. It was discovered from running water in Florida, and was first described in 2014. Its name comes from Latin, "found in water, aquatic".
Listeria riparia is a species of bacteria. It is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacillus. It is non-pathongenic. Its name refers to the riparian zone, and its discovery was first published in 2014.
Listeria cornellensis is a species of bacteria. It is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacillus. It is non-pathogenic. The species was named after Cornell University, and its discovery was first published in 2014.
Listeria floridensis is a species of bacteria. It is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacillus. It is non-pathongenic and non-hemolytic. The species was discovered in and named after Florida, and its discovery was first published in 2014.
Listeria grandensis is a species of bacteria. It is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacillus. It is non-pathongenic and non-hemolytic. The species was discovered in and named after Grand County, Colorado, and its discovery was first published in 2014.
Listeria booriae is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, nonmotile, non-spore-forming rod-shaped species of bacteria. It is not pathogenic and nonhemolytic. It was discovered in a dairy processing plant in the Northeastern United States, and was first described in 2015. The species name honors "Kathryn Boor, a United States food scientist, for her contribution to the understanding of the biology of Listeria."
Listeria weihenstephanensis is a species of bacteria. It is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacillus. It is non-pathongenic and non-hemolytic. It was discovered in a Lemna trisulca plant in a pond in Bavaria, Germany. The species name reflects the region in which it was first isolated, and was first published in 2013.
Listeria fleischmannii is a species of bacteria. It is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacillus. It is non-pathogenic and non-hemolytic. The species was first isolated in 2006 in Switzerland from hard cheese. The species is named after Wilhelm Fleischmann, a pioneer in the research of dairy products.
Listeria welshimeri is a species of bacteria. It is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, motile, non-spore-forming bacillus. It is non-pathogenic and non-hemolytic. It was isolated from decayed vegetation in the United States by H. J. Welshimer, after whom the species is named. The species was first proposed in 1983.
Listeria seeligeri is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, motile, nonspore-forming, bacillus-shaped species of bacteria. It is not pathogenic. The species was first isolated from plants, soil, and animal feces in Europe, was first proposed in 1983, and is named after Heinz P. R. Seeliger. Seeliger first proposed the species L. ivanovii and L. innocua, and published extensively on members of the genus Listeria.
Kathryn J Boor is an American food scientist and academic administrator. She is the dean of Cornell University Graduate School and vice provost for graduate education. Previously she served as the Ronald P Lynch Dean of the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Listeria costaricensis is a species of bacterium of the genus Listeria. It is a Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped bacterium, non-spore-forming and facultatively anaerobic. Colonies are opaque, yellow-pigmented, with a flat shape and entire margin on BHI. Growth occurs at 22–42 °C, with optimal growth at 30–37 °C. It has motility at 37 °C. The bacteria is negative for catalase, haemolysis and nitrite reduction. It can be differentiated from other species of the genus Listeria by the absence of catalase reaction, production of acid from potassium 5-ketogluconate and production of a yellow pigment on BHI. It is presumably non-pathongenic due to the lack of haemolysis and pathogenicity genes on its genome.
Dubosiella is a Gram-positive genus from the family of Erysipelotrichidae with one known species. Dubosiella newyorkensis has been isolated from the intestinal content of a murine from New York City in the United States. Dubosiella is named after the American microbiologist René Dubos.
Listeria thailandensis is a species of bacteria. It is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacillus. It is non-pathogenic and non-hemolytic. It was isolated from a fried chicken sample from Thailand. The species was first proposed in 2019, and the species name refers to the country from which it was first isolated.
Listeria innocua is a species of Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria. It is motile, facultatively anaerobic, and non-spore-forming. L. innocua was named innocua (innocuous) because, in contrast to Listeria monocytogenes, it does not readily cause disease in mammals. Another Listeria species, L. seeligeri, was named after one of the discoverers of L. innocua.
