Overview
Listeriosis is a foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes, leading to severe infections particularly in immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, neonates, and the elderly 125.Diagnosis
Clinical symptoms include fever, meningitis, sepsis, and fetal loss 5.
Laboratory confirmation involves isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or other sterile sites 5.
Serological tests are less reliable due to low sensitivity and specificity 5.Management
First-line treatment: Ampicillin plus an aminoglycoside (e.g., gentamicin) or, in cases of gentamicin resistance, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 5.
Adjunctive therapy: Consider vancomycin for meningitis or endocarditis 5.
Pregnancy: Ampicillin is preferred to avoid adverse effects on the fetus 5.Special Populations
Pregnancy: High risk of fetal loss; prompt treatment with ampicillin is crucial 5.
Elderly and immunocompromised: Increased susceptibility to severe forms including sepsis and meningitis 5.
Pediatrics: Neonates are particularly vulnerable to invasive listeriosis with high mortality rates 5.Key Recommendations
Prompt initiation of ampicillin-based therapy for suspected listeriosis, especially in pregnant women and neonates (Evidence: Strong 5).
Consider trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in cases of gentamicin resistance (Evidence: Moderate 5).
Monitor and manage hepatic involvement carefully, as it is rare but severe when present (Evidence: Weak 4).
Enhance food safety measures to reduce exposure to high-risk foods, guided by updated dose-response models (Evidence: Moderate 2).
Evaluate serovar-specific immune responses in vaccine development, considering antigenic variations (Evidence: Expert opinion 3).References
1 Aziz T, Naveed M, Shabbir MA, Jabeen K, Khan AA, Hasnain A et al.. Designing a Multiepitope Vaccine against the Foodborne Pathogenic Bacteria . Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition) 2024. link
2 Hoelzer K, Chen Y, Dennis S, Evans P, Pouillot R, Silk BJ et al.. New data, strategies, and insights for Listeria monocytogenes dose-response models: summary of an interagency workshop, 2011. Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis 2013. link
3 García JA, Dominguez L, Briones V, Blanco M, Fernandez-Garayzabal JF, Suarez G. Revision of the antigenic structure of genus Listeria. FEMS microbiology letters 1990. link90178-s)
4 Jenkins D, Richards JE, Rees Y, Wicks AC. Multiple listerial liver abscesses. Gut 1987. link
5 Robertson MH. Listeriosis. Postgraduate medical journal 1977. link
6 Gronstol H, Ulvund MJ. Listeric septicaemia in sheep associated with Tick-Borne fever (Ehrlichiosis ovis). Acta veterinaria Scandinavica 1977. link
7 Ullmann WW, Cameron JA. Immunochemistry of the cell walls of Listeria monocytogenes. Journal of bacteriology 1969. link