History and epidemiology of listeriosis

Listeriae are used as a tool by different specialities in biomedical research. There are now at least four major fields of interest in Listeria: (1) the role in medical microbiology: Listeria monocytogenes causes severe diseases of men and animals and is difficult to treat; (2) the role in food microbiology: Listeria is a food-borne pathogen and is found in various food items; (3) the role in cell biology: L. monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular parasite having an intense cross-talk and interactions with the host cell; (4) the role in immunology: basic knowledge on cell-mediated immunity has been acquired through the model of listeriosis. This paper presents information on the past and the actual situation in research on Listeria and listeriosis. (C) 2003 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.