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Listeria is a common type of bacteria found in vegetation, soil, and water. It is also present in both animal and human feces. Some people and animals become carriers of listeria and do not become ill. If consumed, listeria can make people very sick; it is especially serious for anybody with a weakened immune system. Listeriosis also is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and their unborn babies. Most listeria infection in humans result from eating contaminated foods. Infection can lead to a rare but serious illness called listeriosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 2,500 cases of listeria food poisoning occur each year in the United States, causing death in one in five patients. Listeria is more likely to cause death than any other bacterial poisoning.

How do you Get Listeriosis?

• Eating foods contaminated with the listeria bacteria. Animals can carry the bacterium, leading to contamination of foods of animal origin, such as meat and dairy products. Even vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or manure.
• Pregnant women sometimes transmit the infection to their babies in the womb or during childbirth.
• Listeria can be spread by contact with an infected surface, such as a counter top, during food preparation.

What are the Symptoms of Listeriosis?

Vomiting, severe headache, fever, muscle ache, stiffness, cramps, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, eye infections, and constipation are common symptoms of listeriosis. Listeriosis also can cause mild flu-like symptoms, especially in pregnant women. Although the mothers may not be in danger, the illness can cause premature deliveries, miscarriages, still births, and very sick newborn babies. Stiff neck, headache, confusion, convulsions, and loss of balance could warn that the infection has spread into the brain, causing meningitis encephalitis, which can result in death. Septicemia (blood poisoning) is a deadly illness symptomatic of the listeria bacteria moving into the bloodstream. In a child, symptoms of infection include vomiting, fever, rapid breath, loss of appetite, irritability, lethargy, and, possibly, a high-pitched cry. Call a doctor immediately for advice and to start treatment.

The appearance of symptoms tends to correlate with the degree of contamination. Milder forms of listeriosis usually begin one or two days after consuming contaminated food, although it could take as long as several weeks. Generally, the serious infections are those with the longer incubation periods. In such cases, symptoms take longer to appear, even as long as ninety days after exposure.

How do you Know For Sure if You Have Listeriosis?

Diagnosis is established by culturing a sample of blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or other sterile body fluid.

High-Risk Populations for Listeriosis

• The elderly
• The young, especially children whose immune systems are compromised by illnesses, such as cancer and AIDS
• Newborn babies
• Cancer patients
• Transplant patients
• HIV- /AIDS positive people (People living with AIDS are at least 300 times more likely to get listeriosis than those with a normal immune system)
• Sufferers of autoimmune diseases, such as lupus
• People with diabetes
• People taking certain types of drugs, such as corticosteroids
• Alcoholics
• Pregnant women and their unborn babies (pregnant women are about 20 times more likely than healthy adults to get listeriosis)

Can Listeriosis be Treated?

Yes. Listeriosis should always be treated with antibiotics. With severe symptoms, a hospital stay is usually recommended. As soon as a diagnosis is suspected or made, intravenous antibiotics should be administered in severe cases or for high-risk patients. Pregnant women are also prescribed antibiotics, which may also help to protect the fetus from infection. Newborns are given the same antibiotics that adults receive.

Preventing Listeriosis is a Multi-Pronged Process

1. Avoid certain foods, especially for people at high-risk:
   • Raw unpasteurized milk and foods made from it (i.e. raw milk cheese). Pasteurization and cooking kill listeria.
   • Soft cheeses, including Brie, feta, ricotta, Camembert, and traditional Mexican-style cheeses (i.e. queso fresco, Panela), if they are made from unpasteurized milk
   • Refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads
   • Refrigerated smoked seafood, which is often labelled nova-style, smoked, kippered, lox, and jerky
   • Uncooked/under-cooked hot dogs
   • Soft-serve ice creams
   • Sliced deli meat
   • Raw vegetable salads like coleslaw (contaminated cabbage)
   • Potato salad
   • Smoked mussels
2. Sanitation: Person-to-person transmission does not occur, but listeria can be spread by contact with an infected product or surface, such as counter tops or hands. Washing hands frequently while preparing and handling food is the first step to a healthier kitchen. When in contact with raw meat, fish, and poultry, it becomes more important. Keep cutting boards, counters, knives, utensils, and dishes sanitized and clean, especially after contact with raw food. Hot water and soap plus a sanitizer are essential. Using one set of utensils for raw and another for cooked foods, is recommended.
3. Food preparation:
   • Listeria can be killed by proper cooking procedures. Make sure meat and eggs are cooked to the proper internal temperature. High-risk groups should cook all cold cuts, hot dogs, meats, and poultry until steaming hot.
   • Never eat left-over reheated food.
   • Fruit, raw vegetables, and salad ingredients should be thoroughly washed before eating.
   • When defrosting food, do it in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Leaving food sitting on a counter at room temperature to defrost invites the growth of listeria.
   • Follow preparation instructions on labels.
4. Food storage: Checking the temperature of the refrigerator. Use a thermometer to make sure the temperature is at least 40°F or colder. As the storage temperature increases, so does the growth of listeria in foods. The higher the number of listeria in foods, the greater the risk of getting sick. Refrigeration and freezing will not kill listeria. The bacteria are both unusual and difficult to manage because they grow at room temperature and higher, as well as in low temperatures. Disinfecting and washing the refrigerator on a regular basis to avoid contamination is recommended. Always check for ‘use by’ dates, follow storage instructions, and eat food as quickly as possible, particularly leftovers. All food should be refrigerated promptly, and stored within an hour of cooking. An easy way to prevent listeria cross-contamination is to store raw meats and fish lower in the refrigerator, keeping them well below cooked food.

Notable Outbreaks of Listeriosis

1. Fall 1998: Hotdogs and possibly deli meats caused a major listeriosis outbreak in multiple states. The CDC reported 101 illnesses, resulting in fifteen deaths, and six stillbirths or miscarriages.
2. May-December 2000: A multi-state outbreak of listeriosis was linked to turkey deli meat. The CDC identified twenty-nine people ill with listeriosis, resulting in four deaths and three miscarriages.
3. November 2000: An outbreak of listeria in queso-fresco cheese resulted in twelve reported cases. Ten of the affected people were pregnant women; five lost their babies due to still births, three had premature deliveries, and two gave birth to infected newborns.
4. July-September 2002: Listeriosis was blamed for a multi-state outbreak. Contaminated turkey deli meat products resulted in forty-six illnesses, seven deaths, and three stillbirths and miscarriages.
5. July 2006: Listeria-contaminated potato salad was the cause of 100 people getting sick in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Should I File a Lawsuit If I Come Down With Listeria?

If there is serious illness or death, the short answer is yes. See our article on food poisoning lawsuits.