The evolution and epidemiology of Listeria monocytogenes in Europe and the United States

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic food-borne pathogen responsible for listeriosis, a disease associated with high mortality rates. L. monocytogenes causes invasive syndromes and case-fatality can be as high as 30%, in specific high-risk population groups such as the elderly, immuno-compromised individuals, fetuses and newborns. Acquisition of the disease is mainly due to consumption of contaminated (predominantly ready-to-eat) food. We aimed to provide a state-of-the-art collection of different likely evolutionary models, based on recombination and positive selection, and the phylogenetic relationship between lineages of L. monocytogenes and between them and other Listeria species. We described the most recent findings in comparative pan-genomics, considering the core and accessory genome in relation to virulence and adaptation to different environments. Finally, this review illustrates L. monocytogenes epidemiology and transmission in humans, foods and animals, the surveillance systems of the European Union and United States and the application of molecular techniques as a core tool in epidemiological investigation.

Keywords: Epidemic clones; Evolution; Listeria monocytogenes; Molecular epidemiology; Phylogeny.