What is Listeria contamination?
Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die.
Who is most likely to get Listeria infection?
An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die. The infection is most likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women are 10 times more likely than other people to get a Listeria infection.
What causes Listeria infection in unborn babies?
It’s most commonly caused by eating improperly processed deli meats and unpasteurized milk products. Healthy people rarely become ill from listeria infection, but the disease can be fatal to unborn babies, newborns and people with weakened immune systems.
How long does it take to show symptoms of Listeria?
Symptoms may begin a few days after you’ve eaten contaminated food, but it may take as long as 30 days or more before the first signs and symptoms of infection begin. If the listeria infection spreads to your nervous system, signs and symptoms may include:
Are there any new species of Listeria monocytogenes?
In recent years, many new species were proposed. However, these new species are not widely adopted and the number of type strains for the newly proposed species are very limited. L. ivanovii and L. monocytogenes are pathogenic for mice and other animals. However, only L. monocytogenes is commonly associated with human listeriosis.
How to detect Listeria monocytogenes ( Bam ) Chapter 10?
A 50 g portion of this composite blend (equivalent to 25g food plus 25 ml basal BLEB) is combined with 200 ml of basal BLEB. The composite is then inoculated as described in section E or F. An aliquot (100 ml) of the composite blend should be retained, preferably at 5° C and not below 0° C, for possible pathogen enumeration.
Is there an outbreak of Listeria in deli meats?
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) investigated a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to deli meats.
What are the symptoms of listeriosis in humans?
This form of disease is characterized by severe symptoms and a high mortality rate (20%–30%). The symptoms include fever, myalgia (muscle pain), septicemia, meningitis. The incubation period is usually one to two weeks but can vary between a few days and up to 90 days.
How is Listeriosis controlled in the food chain?
The control of L. monocytogenes is required at all stages in the food chain and an integrated approach is needed to prevent the multiplication of this bacteria in the final food product.
