Listeria monocytogenes is a saprophytic bacterium and a foodborne pathogen of humans and animals. Little is known about its distribution and genetic diversity across different environments within the same geographical region. We conducted a large‐scale longitudinal study in southeastern Spain monitoring Listeria spp. in untreated wastewater, ruminant farms, and natural environments over four seasons ( N = 1490 samples, N = 545...

Summary Studies have shown that ruminants constitute reservoirs of Listeria monocytogenes , but little is known about the epidemiology and genetic diversity of this pathogen within farms. Here we conducted a large‐scale longitudinal study to monitor Listeria spp. in 19 dairy farms during three consecutive seasons ( N = 3251 samples). L . innocua was the most prevalent species, followed by L . monocytogenes . Listeria monocytog...