Listerosis is a bacterial infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria causes infections of the central nervous system and bacteremia. L. monocytogenes is a facultative Gram-positive bacterium responsible for listeriosis, a sickness with a high mortality rate. L. monocytogenes has become a model to study bacterial intracellular life, and a powerful tool to study basic cellular biology processes.
Listeria monocytogenes is omnipresent and can come from soil (and therefore seed) or be airborn( most of the time found in leaves).
The most intresting part of L. monocytogenes is that survives freezing and high temperatures but also may continue to grow under refrigeration all the way up to 119o F (48 o C) it can also grow in vacuum packaged products.
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