title: Listeria monocytogenes sequence type 1 is predominant in ruminant rhombencephalitis.
abstract: Listeria (L.) monocytogenes is an opportunistic pathogen causing life-threatening infections in diverse mammalian species including humans and ruminants. As little is known on the link between strains and clinicopathological phenotypes, we studied potential strain-associated virulence and organ tropism in L. monocytogenes isolates from well-defined ruminant cases of clinical infections and the farm environment. The phylogeny of isolates and their virulence-associated genes were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and sequence analysis of virulence-associated genes. Additionally, a panel of representative isolates was subjected to in vitro infection assays. Our data suggest the environmental exposure of ruminants to a broad range of strains and yet the strong association of sequence type (ST) 1 from clonal complex (CC) 1 with rhombencephalitis, suggesting increased neurotropism of ST1 in ruminants, which is possibly related to its hypervirulence. This study emphasizes the importance of considering clonal background of L. monocytogenes isolates in surveillance, epidemiological investigation and disease control.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurological Sciences, Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland.|Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Margaux
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dreyer
authors.affiliation: Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland.|Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lisandra
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aguilar-Bultet
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurological Sciences, Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland.|Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rupp
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurological Sciences, Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland.|Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guldimann
authors.affiliation: Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stephan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, AHVLA Lasswade, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik Midlothian, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schock
authors.affiliation: AHVLA Shrewsbury Kendal Road, Harlscott, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Otter
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Public Health Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gertraud
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schüpbach
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brisse
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Biology of Infection Unit, Paris, France.|Inserm U1117, Paris, France.|French National Reference Center and WHO Collaborating Center Listeria, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.|Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, Institut Imagine, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lecuit
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurological Sciences, Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oevermann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D006041:Goats; D000069544:Infectious Encephalitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010802:Phylogeny; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000382:microbiology; D012418:Ruminants / Q000382:microbiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012756:Sheep; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors