We have all come to know Listeria on a first name basis during the last few months. But time has come to make sure there is clear understanding on who is who in this family and why this pathogen is so important.
Note: Many thanks to our friend and valuable expert Kaarin Goodburn for her input - we now know that there is a brand new species in the family (as of Jan 2018) and we have updated the data below accordingly - proof of how formidable and dynamic Listeria really is!
- Firstly, it's important to know that all L. monocytogenes can cause the severe form of listeriosis.
- L. monocytogenes is an important human foodborne pathogen and the third leading cause of foodborne deaths due to microbial causes in the USA.
- Contaminated food is believed to be the primary source of human exposure to L. monocytogenes and has been repeatedly linked to sporadic cases and large outbreaks of listeriosis.
- L. monocytogenes has the highest hospitalization rate (92%) & highest case-fatality rate (20%-30%) of any foodborne pathogen. It is responsible for more than 1/4 of food-borne disease-related deaths linked to known pathogens.
