AUTHOR=Daza Prieto Beatriz , Pietzka Ariane , Martinovic Aleksandra , Ruppitsch Werner , Zuber Bogdanovic Ivana 

TITLE=Surveillance and genetic characterization of Listeria monocytogenes in the food chain in Montenegro during the period 2014–2022

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1418333

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1418333

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec65"><title>Introduction</title><p><italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic> is an ubiquitous foodborne pathogen that represents a serious threat to public health and the food industry.</p></sec><sec id="sec66"><title>Methods</title><p>In this study Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) was used to characterize 160 <italic>L. monocytogenes</italic> isolates obtained from 22,593 different food sources in Montenegro during the years 2014–2022.</p></sec><sec id="sec67"><title>Results</title><p>Isolates belonged to 21 different clonal complexes (CCs), 22 sequence types (STs) and 73 core genome multilocus sequence types (cgMLST) revealing a high diversity. The most prevalent STs were ST8 (<italic>n</italic> = 29), ST9 (<italic>n</italic> = 31), ST121 (<italic>n</italic> = 19) and ST155 (<italic>n</italic> = 20). All isolates carried virulence genes (VGs), 111 isolates carried mobile genetic elements (MGEs) (ranging from 1 to 7 MGEs) and 101 isolates carried plasmids (ranging from 1 to 3 plasmids). All isolates carried the intrinsic resistance genes <italic>fosX</italic> and <italic>lin</italic>. None of the isolates carried acquired antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs).</p></sec><sec id="sec68"><title>Discussion/conclusion</title><p>Continuous monitoring and surveillance of <italic>L. monocytogenes</italic> is needed for improving and ameliorating the public health.</p></sec>