New EU-wide study reveals that most outbreaks due to Listeria remain undetected

A new article published in Eurosurveillance claims that more than 50% of severe Listeriosis cases in the EU belong to clusters. These clusters are not detected fast enough by the current European surveillance system. In this study, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) analyzed 2,726 human Listeria monocytogenes isolates from 27 countries between 2010 and 2015. Approximately 1/3 of the cases that were identified as part of a cluster affected more than one country, and frequently lasting for several years. Because only two listeriosis outbreaks were reported in the EU in 2016 and five in 2015, one can conclude that many of them have gone undetected. The use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize listeriosis cases could speed up the detection of clusters by up to 5 months. The faster detection of clusters could prevent further cases from the same source. In 2016, 2,536 cases were reported, including 247 deaths. The study also defines the most appropriate typing methods for earlier detection and investigation of isolated cross-border clusters and outbreaks of Listeria monocytogenes. @ https://ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/listeria-surveillance-new-eu-wide-study-reveals-most-outbreaks-remain-undetected