VMC 311, Veterinary Bacteriology, Notes compiled by Dr.

Gaurav Singhal

Listeria

Listeria monocytogenes is a small, motile, gram positive rode which grows

readily on most cultured media under aerobic and microaerophilic
conditions. It produces acids but no gas from a number of carbohydrates and
is non proteolytic.

It is widely distributed in a number of different hosts in which it produces

various types of diseases which are collectively called Listeriosis. The
methods by which this organism is transmitted are unknown. It appears to be
opportunist and as such under conditions of stress it may produce
pathological cellular changes.

It occurs singly, in V shaped, in pairs or in short chains of 3 to 6 organism. It

is non spore forming and non capsule producing. It is easily stained by the
aniline dyes and is gram positive. Old cultures are more easily decolorized
and many of the cells show typical bipolar staining. It is non acid fast.

The organism is aerobic and facultative, grows well at any temperature

between 20oC and 40oC, pH between 7.0 and 7.2. The addition of 0.05 %
potassium tellurite to tryptose agar is useful in isolating Listeria
monocytogenes. Listeria colonies appear black with a green color at the
periphery. On solid agar media, colonies of the organism are circular, smooth
and transparent (they appear grey in color in reflected light and blue-green
in color in oblique light). On blood agar small colonies surrounded by a
narrow zone of Beta hemolysis are found. In broth a slight turbidity is
developed, and fairly heavy granular sediment is formed.

The organism is destroyed at a temperature of 58 oC in 10 minutes and is

easily killed by usual disinfectants. It is sensitive to number of antibiotics.

It produces acid from glucose, rhamnose and salicin within 24 hrs after
inoculation, produces acid in sucrose, maltose, lactose, glycerol, starch and
dextrin in 7 to 12 days. The organism does not produce indol, does not
reduce nitrates or form H2S. It does not liquefy gelatin. Litmus milk is
decolorized and a slight amount of acid is formed but the medium is not
coagulated. The organism produces Beta hemolysis on blood agar.

It is capable of producing natural infection in rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens,

turkeys, sheep, goats, cattle, foxes, swine, horses and man. The disease
varies with the type of tissue involved. For example, in chicken it causes
extensive necrosis of the myocardium and in sheep, ox and pig it affects
central nervous system where marked meningitis is produced. This organism
has been isolated from meningitis in man too. It is also the cause of
abortion and may produce consecutive abortions. It can be diagnosed
VMC 311, Veterinary Bacteriology, Notes compiled by Dr. Gaurav Singhal

by the isolation and identification of the organism. Four significant

characteristics of Listeria can be emphasized:

1. It is small pleomorphic rod

2. It is motile
3. It is Beta hemolytic
4. Its isolation is augmented by storage of the suspected tissue in the
refrigerator at 4 degree C for a week.