Improving Diagnostic Accuracy for Listeria Monocytogenes Infections in Pregnant Women and Children

Abstract

Background: Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive, facultative intracellular bacterium responsible for listeriosis, a severe infection affecting humans and animals. Listeriosis predominantly impacts immunosuppressed individuals, newborns, and the elderly, causing septicemia, meningitis, encephalitis, spontaneous abortions, and, in severe cases, death. Objective: This study aimed to detect virulence genes (hly and prf) in Listeria monocytogenes isolated from children and pregnant women in hospitals in Baghdad. Methods: The study focused on molecular detection of key virulence genes associated with Listeria monocytogenes pathogenicity, emphasizing their diagnostic significance in high-risk populations, including pregnant women and children.