Listeria monocytogenes, a silent foodborne pathogen in Ecuador

• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1278860
• Publication Date: 2023-12-21T04:55:22Z
• Authors: Lorena Mejía; Estefanía Espinos...; Ana Lucía Freire; Sonia Zapata; Fernando González...
• Keywords: Foodborne pathogen; Food microbiology

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can produce serious, even fatal, infections. Among other foods, it be found in unpasteurized dairy and ready-to-eat products. Surveillance of L. great interest since sources infection are difficult to determine due the long incubation period, because symptoms listeriosis similar diseases. We performed genomic study isolated from fresh cheeses clinical samples Ecuador. Sixty-five isolates were evaluated sequenced, 14 cheese 20 cases National Institute Public Health Research, 31 artisanal 8 provinces. All exhibited heterogeneous patterns presence pathogenicity islands. at least 4 genes LIPI-1, but all references (26 closed genomes available NCBI database) showed complete island, which encompasses 5 present only two Ecuadorian isolates. Most lacked gene actA . Genes LIPI-2 absent LIPI-3 LIPI-4 few With respect stress survival islets, our either presented SSI-1 or SSI-F2365, except for one isolate SSI-F2365 also SSI-1. None SSI-2. The predominant ST (sequence type) was ST2 (84.62% 55/65), food (93.33% 42/45) (65% 13/20). Isolates not grouped according their sampling origin, date, place phylogenetic tree obtained core alignment. samples, with high similarity, suggests risk linked consumption