title: Species and serovars of the genus Listeria isolated from different sources in Brazil from 1971 to 1997.
abstract: Using phenotype techniques, characterization was made to species and serovar of 3,112 strains of Listeria, isolated from different sources of infection such as human (247-7.9%) and animals (239-7.6%), as well as from various routes of infection, including food (2, 330-74.8%) and environmental constituents (296-9.5%), all coming from different regions of the country and collected during the period 1971-1997. The following species were recovered in the cultures analysed: L. monocytogenes (774-24.8%), L. innocua (2, 269-72.9%), L. seeligeri (37-1.1%), L. welshimeri (22-0.7%), L. grayi (9-0.2%), and L. ivanovii (1-0.03%). L. monocytogenes was represented by ten serovars, the most prevalent being 4b (352-11.3%), (1/2)a (162-5.2%), and (1/2)b (148-4.7%). The predominant serovar in L. innocua was 6a (2,093-67.2%). Considerations about laboratory methods for diagnosis and epidemiological aspects are presented on the basis of the results obtained.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Zoonoses Bacterianas, Departamento de Bacteriologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hofer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Feitosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008087:Listeria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000635:transmission; D010641:Phenotype; D012703:Serotyping; D013045:Species Specificity