Genomic Surveillance of Listeria monocytogenes in Taiwan, 2014 to 2019
Yu-Huan Tsai, Alexandra Moura, Zi-Qi Gu, Jui-Hsien Chang, Ying-Shu Liao, Ru-Hsiou Teng, Kuo-Yao Tseng, Dai-Ling Chang, Wei‐Ren Liu, Yu‐Tsung Huang, Alexandre Leclercq, Hsiu‐Jung Lo, Marc Lecuit, Chien‐Shun Chiou
Abstract
Understanding the phylogenetic relationship between clinical and food isolates is important to identify the transmission routes of foodborne diseases. Here, we performed a nationwide study between 2014 and 2019 of both clinical and food Listeria monocytogenes isolates and sequenced their genomes. We show a 9-fold increase in listeriosis reporting upon implementation of mandatory notification. We found that sublineages SL87 and SL378 predominated among both clinical (50%) and food (57%) isolates, and identified five cgMLST clusters accounting for 57% of clinical cases, suggestive of potential protracted sources of contamination over up to 6 years in Taiwan. These findings highlight that mandatory declaration is critical in identifying the burden of listeriosis, and the importance of genome sequencing for a detailed characterization of the pathogenic L. monocytogenes genotypes circulating in Asia.