Listeria are rod-shaped, Gram-positive, nonspore-forming bacteria. They cause listeriosis, a rare but lethal foodborne infection. Listeria are transmitted through contaminated food which is often of animal origin, such as raw milk cheeses, poultry, raw and cooked fish, but also by raw fruit and vegetables. Generally, they are very resistant to stress and able to grow at temperatures ranging from 4 °C to 37 °C.

Listeria monocytogenes is known to be responsible for listeriosis, a rare but often lethal food-borne infection with a lethality rate of up to 20%. 

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