Category:Listeria species

There are 6 species of Listeria bacteria. They are known as saprophytes in soil. L.monocytogenes and L.ivanovii are pathogens carried by sheep and goats and shed in faeces and milk especially during stress. They can cause septicaemia, encephalitis, abortion and endophthalmitis in ruminants. Outbreaks of listeriosis often linked to silage feeding.