Abstract
We present the LiSEQ (Listeria SEQuencing) project, funded by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) to compare Listeria monocytogenes isolates collected in the European Union from ready-to-eat foods, compartments along the food chain (e.g. food-producing animals, food-processing environments) and humans. In this article, we report the molecular characterization of a selection of this data set employing whole-genome sequencing analysis. We present an overview of the strain diversity observed in different sampled sources, and characterize the isolates based on their virulence and resistance profile. We integrate into our analysis the global L. monocytogenes genome collection described by Moura and colleagues in 2016 to assess the representativeness of the LiSEQ collection in the context of known L. monocytogenes strain diversity.
Highlights
Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic pathogen that causes a range of illnesses from mild febrile gastroenteritis to more severe invasive infections, including bacteraemia and meningitis [1]
We report the molecular characterization of a selection of L. monocytogenes isolates from the above sources, and human clinical cases employing whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis
The main objective of this study was to compare L. monocytogenes isolates collected in the European Union (EU) from RTE foods, compartments along the food chain and from human cases, and highlights the value of revisiting well-structured surveys
Summary
Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic pathogen that causes a range of illnesses from mild febrile gastroenteritis to more severe invasive infections, including bacteraemia and meningitis (listeriosis) [1]. Whilst listeriosis is a relatively rare disease, it has a high fatality rate of 20–30 % and, the burden of the disease is high [2]. Some populations have an increased susceptibility, including the elderly, immunosuppressed patients, pregnant women, their foetuses and neonates [1]. The majority of cases appear to be sporadic, outbreaks are not uncommon. The highest notification rates were observed in Finland, Belgium, Germany, Slovenia and Denmark, with 1.22, 0.92, 0.85, 0.73 and 0.70 cases per 100 000 population, respectively [3]
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