To better comprehend how Listeria monocytogenes transmits from nature to humans, 21 collaborative partners across the food, environment, veterinary, and public health sectors have compiled a dataset of 1,484 genomes from L. monocytogenes strains collected in 19 European countries. The constructed dataset provides insight to L. monocytogenes’ ecology, establishes a basis for understanding how certain genetic traits allow the pathogen to adapt in nature, and aids in the surveillance of L. monocytogenes.
It is known that L. monocytogenes thrives in certain ecological niches, especially soil and decaying organic matter, and can persist for long periods of time in soil and on farms. Therefore, soil may be a large contributor to the pathogen’s transmission from natural and farm environments to foods and food processing facilities. Additionally, farm animals and wild animals alike can serve as vehicles for L. monocytogenes. It is also understood that certain clonal complexes (sequence types with significant similarities to a central genotype) are most commonly responsible for food safety incidents.