Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen responsible for human listeriosis, which is a disease with high hospitalisation and mortality rates. The bacteria are usually susceptible to most antibacterial substances, but resistance to some of them has been recently observed. The present study introduces the evidence on the emergence of antibiotic resistance among L. monocytogenes strains isolated from food and food-production environments in Poland.

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most dangerous food-borne pathogens and is responsible for human listeriosis, a severe disease with a high mortality rate, especially among the elderly, pregnant women and newborns. Therefore, this bacterium has an important impact on food safety and public health. It is able to survive and even grow in a temperature range from -0.4°C to 45°C, a broad pH range from 4.6 to 9.5 and at a relatively low water activity (aW < 0.90), and tolerates salt content up to 20%. It is also resistant to ultraviolet light, biocides and heavy metals and forms biofilm structures on a variety of surfaces in food-production environments. These features make it difficult to remove and allow it to persist for a long time, increasing the risk of contamination of food-production facilities and ultimately of food. In the present review, the key mechanisms of the pathogen’s survival and stress adaptation have been presented. This information may grant better understanding of bacterial adaptation to food environmental conditions.

Up to now, there has been limited information regarding the circulation of pathogenic Listeria species in poultry and their contact handlers. The present study was, therefore, planned to evaluate the potential existence of Listeria spp. in different poultry species and their products as well as their contact workers at Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt and to address the antimicrobial profile of Listeria isolates using classical microbiological techniques and multiplex PCR targeting three virulence-associated genes (iap, hlyA, and actA). The study included cloacal swabs from different poultry species (n =200), poultry carcasses (n = 25), poultry products (25 samples each of chicken luncheon and frozen chicken breast fillets), chicken eggs (n = 50) and stool specimens from the contact workers (n = 25). Findings showed that 60 samples out of 350 (17.14%) were found to be positive to Listeria spp., which were identified as follow: L. innocua (28.3%), L. ivanovii (28.3%), L. monocytogenes (15%) and L. grayi (15%), L. seeligeri (10%) and L. welshimeri (3.3%). L. monocytogenes showed high resistance to nalidixic acid (100%) followed by neomycin (85.1%), streptomycin (80%), cefotaxime (65%) and penicillin g (58.3%). Results could likely suggest that poultry and poultry products had a significant role in dissemination and transmission of virulent and multidrug resistant L. monocytogenes which represent a potential risk particularly in the absence of strict hygienic practices and preventive measures. A constant monitoring of pathogenic L. monocytogenes is thus urgently needed to avoid the dissemination of such pathogenic strains in food production chains.

Rabbit’s rearing becomes one of the most important source of income in many countries world-wide. Rabbit’s meat has many advantageous over any time of meat and it is recommended especially for sick people. Rabbits are susceptible to some important bacterial diseases such as listeriosis which causes severe economic losses. Listeriosis is a disease caused by many species of Listeria which may be environmental saprophytes or sometimes pathogenic for mammals, birds, and humans. Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is the most common cause of illness either in animals or humans. Infection with this bacterium usually occur in animals via ingestion, while in human via handling or consumption of uncooked or under-processed food. Most of signs in rabbits and humans are the same and including septicaemia especially in young, meningoencephalitis, and metritis and fetal mortality in pregnancy. Additionally, human may show the signs of severe febrile gastroenteritis due to food borne illness as well as skin and joint affections. Diagnosis of the disease depends mainly on the traditional methods of isolation and identification along with the recent molecular techniques for detection. Serological diagnosis is of little value. Prevention and control of listeriosis in rabbits are based on cleaning and disinfection of rabbit’s cages, using of specific antibiotic treatment, and application of some natural alternatives such as probiotics and phytobiotics. In human, avoidances of the possible causes of Listeria infection and stressors and administration of a specific drug is the must. Besides, improvement of the quality control measures in processing plants or during handling of food are essential to effectively prevent and control listeriosis associated with food-borne illness. Accordingly, this article focuses on listeriosis in rabbits regarding the pathogenesis and virulence of the causative agent, clinical picture in rabbits, zoonotic importance in human, laboratory diagnosis, and the different strategies used for the prevention and control of the disease.