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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NCJournal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc

Hypervirulent Listeria isolated from a wild rabbit in Canada.

  • Audrey F Widjaja1
  • Claire M Jardine2
  • Brian Stevens2
  • Chantal Theijn3
  • Durda Slavic4
  • Veronica Guariglia-Oropeza1
4 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
  2. 2Department of Pathobiology, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
  3. 3Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge, Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada.
  4. 4Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, a major foodborne disease with a 30% mortality rate in humans. Although L. monocytogenes can infect animals, whether wildlife can serve as a reservoir remains understudied, especially in Canada. Here, we characterized an L. monocytogenes strain (W0463-24) extracted from a wild cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) submitted to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at the University of Guelph. The rabbit had severe swelling of the head, multiple scabs around the muzzle and eyes, and was diagnosed with disseminated lymphoma, multifocal necrotizing hepatitis with gram-positive bacteria, and nematodosis. Liver and spleen were PCR-negative for Francisella tularensis, and liver was 4+ for L. monocytogenes on bacterial culture. Whole-genome analysis characterized isolate W0463-24 as sequence type 1 (ST1), clonal complex 1 (CC1), and lineage I. Multiple virulence and stress response genes were identified in silico, including the Listeria pathogenicity island 3 (LIPI-3). Invasion of human colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells in vitro was significantly greater with W0463-24 compared with wild-type strain 10403S. We found that this ST1, CC1, lineage I wildlife isolate has high pathogenic potential, emphasizing wildlife both as potential reservoirs and as populations vulnerable to L. monocytogenes infection.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{widjaja2026hypervirulent,
  title = {{Hypervirulent Listeria isolated from a wild rabbit in Canada.}},
  author = {Audrey F Widjaja and Claire M Jardine and Brian Stevens and Chantal Theijn and Durda Slavic and Veronica Guariglia-Oropeza},
  journal = {Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1177/10406387261493575},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921736},
  note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Hypervirulent Listeria isolated from a wild rabbit in Canada.
AU  - Audrey F Widjaja
AU  - Claire M Jardine
AU  - Brian Stevens
AU  - Chantal Theijn
AU  - Durda Slavic
AU  - Veronica Guariglia-Oropeza
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/24
JO  - Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
DO  - 10.1177/10406387261493575
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921736
AB  - Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, a major foodborne disease with a 30% mortality rate in humans. Although L. monocytogenes can infect animals, whether wildlife can serve as a reservoir remains understudied, especially in Canada. Here, we characterized an L. monocytogenes strain (W0463-24) extracted from a wild cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) submitted to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at the University of Guelph. The rabbit had severe swelling of the head, multiple scabs around the muzzle and eyes, and was diagnosed with disseminated lymphoma, multifocal necrotizing hepatitis with gram-positive bacteria, and nematodosis. Liver and spleen were PCR-negative for Francisella tularensis, and liver was 4+ for L. monocytogenes on bacterial culture. Whole-genome analysis characterized isolate W0463-24 as sequence type 1 (ST1), clonal complex 1 (CC1), and lineage I. Multiple virulence and stress response genes were identified in silico, including the Listeria pathogenicity island 3 (LIPI-3). Invasion of human colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells in vitro was significantly greater with W0463-24 compared with wild-type strain 10403S. We found that this ST1, CC1, lineage I wildlife isolate has high pathogenic potential, emphasizing wildlife both as potential reservoirs and as populations vulnerable to L. monocytogenes infection.
SN  - 1040-6387
SN  - 1943-4936
ER  -