Listeria innocua

Listeria innocua
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Bacillota
Class:	Bacilli
Order:	Bacillales
Family:	Listeriaceae
Genus:	Listeria
Species:	L. innocua
Binomial name
Listeria innocua (ex Seeliger and Schoofs 1979) Seeliger 1983

Listeria innocua is a species of

Biochemically, L. innocua is very similar to L. monocytogenes, except that L. innocua is usually non-hemolytic,^[3][4] arylamidase-positive, and phosphoinositide phospholipase C-negative.^[5] Although it is not generally considered a human pathogen, L. innocua was identified in 2003 as the cause of death of a 62-year-old, otherwise healthy, woman.^[6]

As with other species in the genus, L. innocua occurs commonly in the environment (such as soil) and in food.^[7] Strains of L. innocua have been shown to be able to form biofilms.^[8] L. innocua has been tested and used as a laboratory surrogate for pathogenic L. monocytogenes in studies involving thermal, irradiation, and high-pressure processing of food.^[9][10][11]

Knowledge of the structure of L. innocua was refined during the 2000s to help distinguish it from L. monocytogenes.^[4] L. innocua may inhibit detection of L. monocytogenes if both species are present.^[12] One study found that L. monocytogenes was detected in 5.4% of inoculated beef broth samples when L. innocua was also present.^[13]

References