ABSTRACT
Listeria spp. are rod shaped, Gram-positive, intracellular, facultative-anaerobic, nonsporulating rods and are motile at 10-25°C.1-3 Listeria have been isolated from varied sources, including soil, water, plants, feces, decaying vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy products, and asymptomatic human and animal carriers.4,5 The natural habitat of Listeria is decaying plant material, where they live as saprophytes.
