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142 - Listeria

from Part XVIII - Specific Organisms – Bacteria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Bennett Lorber
Affiliation:
Temple University School of Medicine
David Schlossberg
Affiliation:
Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia
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Summary

INTRODUCTION

Listeria monocytogenes is an infrequent cause of illness in the general population, but, in certain groups, including neonates, pregnant women, elderly persons, and those with impaired cell-mediated immunity, whether due to underlying disease or immunosuppressive therapy, it is an important cause of life-threatening bacteremia and meningoencephalitis. Increasing interest in this organism has arisen from concerns about food safety following foodborne epidemics. Separate from its clinical relevance, the study of this bacterium has provided insights into bacterial pathogenesis and the role of cell-mediated immunity in resistance to intracellular pathogens.

MICROBIOLOGY

Listeria monocytogenes is a small, facultatively anaerobic, nonsporulating, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, gram-positive rod that grows readily on blood agar, producing incomplete β-hemolysis. It possesses polar flagellae and exhibits a characteristic tumbling motility at room temperature (25°C). Optimal growth occurs at 30°C to 37°C, but, unlike most bacteria, L. monocytogenes also grows well at refrigerator temperature (4°C to 10°C), and, by so-called cold enrichment, it can be separated from other contaminating bacteria by long incubation in this temperature range. Selective media are available to isolate the organism from specimens containing multiple species (food, stool) and are superior to cold enrichment.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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  • Listeria
  • Edited by David Schlossberg
  • Book: Clinical Infectious Disease
  • Online publication: 05 March 2013
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511722240.143
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  • Listeria
  • Edited by David Schlossberg
  • Book: Clinical Infectious Disease
  • Online publication: 05 March 2013
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511722240.143
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Listeria
  • Edited by David Schlossberg
  • Book: Clinical Infectious Disease
  • Online publication: 05 March 2013
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511722240.143
Available formats
×