International Phage Typing Center for Listeria: report for 1987

A total of 3400 Listeria strains were sent for identification and/or phage typing during 1987. These strains mainly originated from Europe. They were isolated from humans, animals and mostly from foodstuffs, thus reflecting the increasing interest concerning the view that listeriosis is a foodborne disease. Phage typing proved to be a useful tool for epidemiological survey. That was especially evidenced during studies of the outbreak of human listeriosis in Switzerland, for which a contaminated cheese was incriminated as the source of contamination.