ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to describe the principles and advancements in strain typing methods that have been applied to subtyping Listeria monocytogenes. Strain typing is the process by which a bacterial species can be further separated into different subgroups or strains. A direct function of strain typing is to discriminate between different strains that belong to the same genus and/or species. Typing techniques have undergone extensive improvements and many new methods have led to signicantly enhanced performance according to various criteria. Our understanding of epidemiology, evolution, phylogenetics, and the population genetics of L. monocytogenes has greatly evolved with the development of these advanced strain typing techniques.
