**Author details**

Nihed Ben Halima

Address all correspondence to: nihedbenhalima@gmail.com

Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

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On the other hand, the general procedure of strain improvement methods involving foreign DNA or bases could be predicated on many genetic-changing methods such as transduction, transformation, conjugation, parasexual recombination, protoplast fusion, site-directed muta-

In summary, this chapter highlighted primarily that *Listeria monocytogenes* is a well-known pathogenic bacterium particularly to humans and animals causing severe infections especially those from food-borne such as listeriosis. In fact, *L. monocytogenes* could enter the food chain and lead to food-borne illness even at refrigerated temperatures. The pervasiveness of this food spoilage microorganism is due, in part, to its ability to tolerate environments including reduced temperatures, elevated osmolarity, and acid shocks. Consequently, an adequate surveillance system for safe food practices, handling, and storage needs to be established to control *L. monocytogenes* and, thus, should be taken into consideration for healthier world.

Although *L. monocytogenes* is a pathogenic microorganism that threatens the progress of food industry, it would be also a reservoir of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics and other metabolites of economic importance when appropriate strain improvement is addressed. Furthermore, understanding the mechanism of action of *L. monocytogenes* with regard to the infection as well as the immunity could provide critical insights into novel therapeutics for the treatment of infection, as well as the development of vaccine strains as tumor immunotherapies. Thus, it could also refine our use of pathogenic microbes such as *L. monocytogenes*

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as beneficial microorganisms used in vaccines and cancer immunotherapy.

Address all correspondence to: nihedbenhalima@gmail.com Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

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tion, and metabolic engineering.

**6. Conclusion**

48 Listeria Monocytogenes

**Author details**

Nihed Ben Halima

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**Chapter 5**

**Provisional chapter**

*Listeria monocytogenes***: Potent Clinical Hazard**

*Listeria monocytogenes***: Potent Clinical Hazard**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.76389

*Listeria monocytogenes* is still the point to be broken by the scientists. In 1967, scientists Gray and Killinger demonstrated, about the presence of *Listeria monocytogenes* and Listeriosis in humans and cattle. *Listeria monocytogenes* was first described by Murray et al., who named it Bacterium Monocytogenes because of a characteristic monocytosis found in infected laboratory rabbits and guinea pigs. In 1927, it was renamed *Listerella hepatolytica* by Pirie who gave its present name in 1940. The first confirmed isolations of the bacterium from infected individuals, following its initial description, were made in 1929 by Gill from sheep and by Nyfeldt from humans. Since then, sporadic cases of listeriosis, have been reported, often in workers in contact with diseased animals. The invasion of peripheral nerve cells and rapid entry into the brain is postulated as a unique

It was the most prominent food-borne and food-causative agent in South America and in some European territories. *Listeria monocytogene* is a Gram-positive type of the facultative intracellular pathogen, which is capable of surviving in presence or absence of oxygen. It is ubiquitous in nature and grows at a minimum temperature of 0°C (typical refrigeration temperatures, greatly increasing its ability to evade control in human foodstuffs) to 50°C, pH, high concentrations of salt or bile, oxidative stress, carbon starvation, and other adverse conditions. Albeit readymade foods, defilement type of raw food, like vegetables, milk, meat, and seafood, is the most abundant contamination zone for such pathogens, not only are these eventually, readymade foods e paradigms of *L. monocytogenes*, they are also the root of the genesis of life-threatening food-borne disease listeriosis, in humans, including young, old,

> © 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Prasann Kumar and Shweta Pathak

Prasann Kumar and Shweta Pathak

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76389

characteristic of its virulence.

**Keywords:** agriculture, biotic, cattle, disease, ecosystem, listeria

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

#### *Listeria monocytogenes***: Potent Clinical Hazard** *Listeria monocytogenes***: Potent Clinical Hazard**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.76389

Prasann Kumar and Shweta Pathak Prasann Kumar and Shweta Pathak

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76389

**Abstract**

*Listeria monocytogenes* is still the point to be broken by the scientists. In 1967, scientists Gray and Killinger demonstrated, about the presence of *Listeria monocytogenes* and Listeriosis in humans and cattle. *Listeria monocytogenes* was first described by Murray et al., who named it Bacterium Monocytogenes because of a characteristic monocytosis found in infected laboratory rabbits and guinea pigs. In 1927, it was renamed *Listerella hepatolytica* by Pirie who gave its present name in 1940. The first confirmed isolations of the bacterium from infected individuals, following its initial description, were made in 1929 by Gill from sheep and by Nyfeldt from humans. Since then, sporadic cases of listeriosis, have been reported, often in workers in contact with diseased animals. The invasion of peripheral nerve cells and rapid entry into the brain is postulated as a unique characteristic of its virulence.

**Keywords:** agriculture, biotic, cattle, disease, ecosystem, listeria

#### **1. Introduction**

It was the most prominent food-borne and food-causative agent in South America and in some European territories. *Listeria monocytogene* is a Gram-positive type of the facultative intracellular pathogen, which is capable of surviving in presence or absence of oxygen. It is ubiquitous in nature and grows at a minimum temperature of 0°C (typical refrigeration temperatures, greatly increasing its ability to evade control in human foodstuffs) to 50°C, pH, high concentrations of salt or bile, oxidative stress, carbon starvation, and other adverse conditions. Albeit readymade foods, defilement type of raw food, like vegetables, milk, meat, and seafood, is the most abundant contamination zone for such pathogens, not only are these eventually, readymade foods e paradigms of *L. monocytogenes*, they are also the root of the genesis of life-threatening food-borne disease listeriosis, in humans, including young, old,

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

system contaminations, and 4% were atypical forms. Sensitivity of focal sensory system with *L. monocytogenes* ordinarily showing of meningitis or encephalitis and for the most part gives beginning side effects, including migraine, retching, fever, and discomfort before the presence of central indications of focal sensory system infection. Although 14 cases have been evaluated, in which *L. monocytogenes* assume a significant part to cause cerebrum abscesses in inclined people, particularly in leukemia patients or in renal transplant beneficiaries (94). Meningitis straightforwardly connected with a high death rate (315) in neonates to more seasoned. Symptoms of listeriosis as indicated by reports, listeriosis can influence different body parts, so the manifestations fluctuate from direct to endless. Manifestations are related to prodromal fever and looseness of the bowels alongside other foodborne germs; however, this sort of listeria contamination is not analyzed frequently. Side effects fluctuate with more disease. Pregnant ladies commonly encounter just fever and other influenza-like indications, for example, exhaustion and muscle pain. However, contaminations amid pregnancy can prompt unsuccessful labor, stillbirth, unexpected labor, or hazardous disease of the infant. But pregnant ladies additionally endure manifestations of cerebral pain, firm neck, disarray, loss of

*Listeria monocytogenes*: Potent Clinical Hazard http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76389 55

adjustment, and shakings alongside fever and muscle pain [3–7].

vated field [10] (**Figure 2**).

**3. Pragmatic view: resource, occurrence and effect of factors**

Our biosphere is a circular pathway for various paradigms of the food chain in which detritivores have their specific importance. The disease-causing pathogens are also included in this group of classification. Their circulation within the biosphere is a major health issue. An agricultural ecosystem is responsible for the increase in transmission of pathogens to the food chain via production of contaminated raw products. Soil is the edaphic factor, which accounts for circulation of *L. monocytogenes*. An important research performed by Welshimer put forward the first evidence that soil is the primary environment for *L. monocytogenes*, and the occurrence of the bacterium was observed in a third of the 12 sampled farms [8]. This report was further reinforced by a team of headed by a scientist named Weis and Seeliger. They contemplated the existence of *L. monocytogenes* in 746 soil samples collected in Southern Germany in which approximately 160 strains of the pathogen were isolated and account for 21.4% incidents of *L. monocytogenes* [9]. The highest incidence was recorded for uncultivated fields and meadows up to 30.8%, while the occurrence was reported to be quite less in culti-

The appropriation of the listeria types of spatial variety in urban region soil was accounted around 30% instead of indigenous habitat in US it was 19% [11]. Globally the identification of *L. monocytogenes* has been reported in the wake of examining at a similar site [9, 11]. Besides, the omnipresence of *L. monocytogenes* saw fundamental factor as indicated by the season and classification of condition. Rate of event was additionally amid the period of summer in common habitats while least during this time in urban situations. A nearby to inquire about revealed after their 3 years of study that in vegetable and product cultivates the commonness has been quite recently hostile, it was most noteworthy in winter season [12]. There have been recordings of *L. monocytogenes* in soil tests gathered from little ruminant and cow ranches [21]. The

**Figure 1.** Cross talk of factors responsible for bacteria transmission.

pregnant, and immune-compromised people. Various studies suggested that up to 10% of human gastrointestinal tracts might be colonized by *Listeria monocytogenes*. Approximately 20–30% of the kinds of food-borne listeriosis infections are high risk or may be fatal. It is the highest value observed among all food-borne pathogens overall. The genus *Listeria* comprises nine species: *Listeria monocytogenes*, *Listeria ivanovii*, *Listeria innocua*, *Listeria welshimeri*, *Listeria seeligeri*, *Listeria grayi*, *Listeria marthii* [1], and *Listeria rocourtiae* [2] among which only *L. monocytogenes* is pathogenic to humans and L. ivanovii to animals causing listeriosis (**Figure 1**).
