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| The Bad Bug Book |
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1. Name of the Organism:
Listeria monocytogenes
This is a Gram-positive bacterium, motile by means of flagella. Some
studies suggest that 1-10% of humans may be intestinal carriers of L.
monocytogenes. It has been found in at least 37 mammalian species,
both domestic and feral, as well as at least 17 species of birds and
possibly some species of fish and shellfish. It can be isolated from soil,
silage, and other environmental sources. L. monocytogenes is quite
hardy and resists the deleterious effects of freezing, drying, and heat
remarkably well for a bacterium that does not form spores. Most L.
monocytogenes are pathogenic to some degree.
2. Name of Acute Disease:
Listeriosis is the name of the general group of disorders caused by L.
monocytogenes.
3. Nature of Disease:
Listeriosis is clinically defined when the organism is isolated from blood,
cerebrospinal fluid, or an otherwise normally sterile site (e.g. placenta,
fetus).
The manifestations of listeriosis include septicemia, meningitis (or
meningoencephalitis), encephalitis, and intrauterine or cervical infections
in pregnant women, which may result in spontaneous abortion (2nd/3rd
trimester) or stillbirth. The onset of the aforementioned disorders is
usually preceded by influenza-like symptoms including persistent fever.
Listeria monocytogenes
This is a Gram-positive bacterium, motile by means of flagella. Some
studies suggest that 1-10% of humans may be intestinal carriers of L.
monocytogenes. It has been found in at least 37 mammalian species,
both domestic and feral, as well as at least 17 species of birds and
possibly some species of fish and shellfish. It can be isolated from soil,
silage, and other environmental sources. L. monocytogenes is quite
hardy and resists the deleterious effects of freezing, drying, and heat
remarkably well for a bacterium that does not form spores. Most L.
monocytogenes are pathogenic to some degree.
2. Name of Acute Disease:
Listeriosis is the name of the general group of disorders caused by L.
monocytogenes.
3. Nature of Disease:
Listeriosis is clinically defined when the organism is isolated from blood,
cerebrospinal fluid, or an otherwise normally sterile site (e.g. placenta,
fetus).
The manifestations of listeriosis include septicemia, meningitis (or
meningoencephalitis), encephalitis, and intrauterine or cervical infections
in pregnant women, which may result in spontaneous abortion (2nd/3rd
trimester) or stillbirth. The onset of the aforementioned disorders is
usually preceded by influenza-like symptoms including persistent fever.
| The United States Food and Drug Administration's Bad Bug Book: Listeria monocytogenes |