FOOD CONTAMINATION BY LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES: PATHOGENESIS, BIOFILM FORMATION, AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS

Abstract

Listeriosis is a severe foodborne infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, a facultative intracellular pathogen with ubiquitous distribution. The present study aims to analyze the bacterium's pathogenic process, its clinical manifestations in risk groups, and the challenges imposed on food safety in the industry. This is a qualitative and descriptive literature review encompassing publications from the last two decades. The results show that the bacterium's ability to survive extreme temperature variations and form biofilms on industrial equipment hinders its eradication. It is concluded that the strict adoption of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and continuous hygienic-sanitary control are indispensable to mitigate cross-contamination and prevent outbreaks of the disease, which presents a high lethality rate in pregnant women, neonates, and immunosuppressed individuals.