AUTHOR=Lourenco Antonio , Linke Kristina , Wagner Martin , Stessl Beatrix 

TITLE=The Saprophytic Lifestyle of Listeria monocytogenes and Entry Into the Food-Processing Environment

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.789801

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.789801

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic> is an environmentally adapted saprophyte that can change into a human and animal bacterial pathogen with zoonotic potential through several regulatory systems. In this review, the focus is on the occurrence of <italic>Listeria sensu stricto</italic> and <italic>sensu lato</italic> in different ecological niches, the detection methods, and their analytical limitations. It also highlights the occurrence of <italic>L. monocytogenes</italic> genotypes in the environment (soil, water, and wildlife), reflects on the molecular determinants of <italic>L. monocytogenes</italic> for the saprophytic lifestyle and the potential for antibiotic resistance. In particular, the strain-specific properties with which some genotypes circulate in wastewater, surface water, soil, wildlife, and agricultural environments are of particular interest for the continuously updating risk analysis.</p>