Neonatal meningitis: Laboratory Identification

Listeria gram stain

  • Photomicrograph of a gram stain prepared from an 18 hour old broth culture.
  • The organism is a small, non-spore-forming bacillus measuring between 0.4 to 0.5um by 1.0 to 3.5um.
  • Coccobacillary forms, diplobacilli, and bacilli in short chains or in diphtheroidal clusters (upper right in photograph) may all be observed in gram stain preparations.
  • When found in the CSF, the organism may be found both intracellularly and extracellulary.

Learn more about laboratory continuing education for individuals and lab safety and compliance courses for the whole lab.

Current Topics in Clinical Microbiology course details »

Learn more about medical technologist continuing education for MTs, MLTs, and other lab personnel »

Get information on laboratory compliance training for clinical and medical laboratories »