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. 2018 Jul 19;6(4):10.1128/microbiolspec.arba-0031-2017. doi: 10.1128/microbiolspec.arba-0031-2017

TABLE 1.

Listeria monocytogenes lineages and serotype distribution

Lineage Serotypes Distribution Genetic characteristics
I 1/2b, 3b, 4b Commonly isolated from various sources; overrepresented among human isolates Lowest diversity among the lineages; lowest levels of recombination among the lineages
II 1/2a, 1/2c, 3a, 3c Commonly isolated from various sources; overrepresented among food and food-related as well as natural environments Most diverse, highest recombination levels
III 4a, 4b, 4c Most isolates obtained from ruminants Very diverse; recombination levels between those for lineage I and lineage II
IV 4a, 4b, 4c Most isolates obtained from ruminants Few isolates analyzed to date