Correspondence

Sampling of seafood and dairy processing facilities in the north-eastern USA produced 18 isolates of Listeria spp. that could not be identified at the species-level using traditional phenotypic and genotypic identification methods. Results of phenotypic and genotypic analyses suggested that the isolates represent two novel species with an average nucleotide BLAST identity of less than 92 % with previously described species of the genus Listeria. Phylogenetic analyses based on whole genome sequences, 16S rRNA gene and sigB gene sequences confirmed that the isolates represented by type strain FSL M6-0635T and FSL A5-0209 cluster phylogenetically with Listeria cornellensis. Phylogenetic analyses also showed that the isolates represented by type strain FSL A5-0281T cluster phylogenetically with Listeria riparia. The name Listeria booriae sp. nov. is proposed for the species represented by type strain FSL A5-0281T (5DSM 28860T5LMG 28311T), and the name Listeria newyorkensis sp. nov. is proposed for the species represented by type strain FSL M6-0635T (5DSM 28861T5LMG 28310T). Phenotypic and genotypic analyses suggest that neither species is pathogenic. At the time of writing the genus Listeria consists of fifteen species with validly published names: Listeria monocytogene