Unraveling listeria monocytogenes resilience: does it survive on metallic surfaces?

• Author(s): Gonçalves, Catarina ; Ferreira, Vânia ; Magalhães, Rui ; Teixeira, Paula
• Date: 2024
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/48184
• Origin: Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa
• Document Type: Conference object
• Language: English
• Contributor(s): Veritati

Description

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive pathogenic bacterium that can cause listeriosis in humans [1,2]. A primary cause of human listeriosis is the consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes. This rare yet severe foodborne illness results in high rates of hospitalization and mortality, particularly in vulnerable groups: the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant women [3,4,5]. It exhibits resistance to desiccation and has been shown to persist for months on stainless steel at 15 °C [6]. This persistence has been related to its ability to resist cleaning. Despite advances in manufacturing processes and hygiene, the food industry still finds positive environmental samples for L. monocytogenes, indicating potential colonization and the risk of recurrent food contamination [7].