Systemic Spread of Listeria Monocytogenes After Oral Infection

Public Health Relevance: Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) infections occur following the ingestion of contaminated ¿ready-to-eat¿ food products such as unpasteurized cheeses and deli meats and have a high mortality rate, particularly for some pregnant women/neonates and people over the age of 60. In this study, we are testing the idea that Lm elicits a strong protective immune response in most individuals that will limit the infection to a mild gastroenteritis. We predict that in susceptible individuals who lack the ability to mount this innate immune response, unrestricted growth of Lm will result in systemic spread and invasion of the central nervous system.