Listeria infection

Description

Listeria infection is a disease caused by bacteria that can spread through many foods. Another name for the disease is listeriosis. It can be very serious for pregnant women, people 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems. Some foods are more likely to be contaminated by the bacteria than others. These include soft cheeses, deli meats, and dairy products that have not been treated to kill the bacteria, called pasteurized.

Healthy people rarely become very ill from listeria infection. But the disease can be fatal to unborn babies, newborns and people with weakened immune systems. Prompt antibiotic treatment can help to slow down the effects of infection by listeria.

Listeria bacteria can survive refrigeration and even freezing. So if you are at higher risk of serious infections, be conscious of what you eat. Stay away from foods that are more likely to contain the bacteria listeria.

Symptoms

The symptoms of listeria infection in part depends on which part of the body that the infection occurs. If it affects the gut, you may have:

  • Loose stools, called diarrhea.
  • Upset stomach.
  • Vomiting.

These symptoms often begin within a day of eating contaminated food. They tend to go away in a few days.

The germs that cause the infection by listeria also can spread through the blood and in the brain and the spinal cord. If this happens, you may have:

  • The fever and the chills.
  • Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue.
  • Diarrhea or an upset stomach.
  • The pain of a headache.
  • Stiffness in the neck.
  • Confusion or changes in the state of alert.
  • L'oss of balance.
  • Seizures.

These symptoms typically start within two weeks of eating contaminated food. But it can take up to two months for symptoms to begin.

The symptoms during pregnancy and in the newborn

During the pregnancy, a listeria infection is likely to cause only mild symptoms in the pregnant person. But the effects on the baby can be devastating. The baby may die in utero or have a life-threatening infection within a few days of their birth.

The symptoms of listeria infection in a newborn can be subtle. But may include:

  • Little interest in feeding.
  • The bad mood.
  • High temperature, called a fever or low temperature, called hypothermia.
  • Vomiting.
  • Difficulty breathing.
  • Little or no energy.
  • The low birth weight.

When to see a doctor

If you've eaten a food that has been recalled due to a listeria outbreak, attentive to the symptoms of the disease. Call your health care professional if you have a fever, muscle aches, upset stomach or diarrhea. The same goes for the disease after eating foods that might be contaminated. These include foods made with unpasteurized milk or poorly heated hot dogs or deli meats. Let your healthcare professional know what you ate.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of the following:

  • A high fever.
  • Very bad headache.
  • Stiffness in the neck.
  • Confusion.
  • Discomfort or pain due to light.

These could be symptoms of a life-threatening condition that can occur with infection by listeria, called bacterial meningitis.

Causes

Listeria bacteria can be found in soil, water and animal waste, also called stool. People can become infected by eating the following:

  • Raw vegetables that have been contaminated from the soil or the manure used as fertilizer.
  • Of contaminated meat.
  • The raw milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk, also called unpasteurized products.
  • Certain processed foods such as soft cheeses, hot dogs and deli meats that have been contaminated after processing.
  • The cold-smoked fish, such as nova or smoked salmon.
  • The outbreaks.
  • The melons.

Pregnant people with infections of listeria can pass the infection to their babies. This is a risk, even if a pregnant person has no symptoms of the infection.

Risk factors

Pregnant women, people over 65 and people with weak immune systems are at highest risk for listeria infection.

Pregnant women and their babies

Pregnant women are much more prone to infections of listeria that other healthy adults. A listeria infection may cause only a mild illness in pregnant women. But the risks are:

  • Spontaneous abortion.
  • The fetal death.
  • The preterm birth.
  • A life-threatening infection in the baby after birth.

People who have weakened immune systems

This includes people who:

  • Are older than 65 years.
  • Have conditions such as cancer, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, autoimmune diseases, alcohol use disorder, and HIV or AIDS.
  • To receive chemotherapy to treat the cancer.
  • Taking high doses of steroids.
  • Take the treatments that decrease the immune system. The examples include some medicines for rheumatoid arthritis, and medications to block the rejection of a transplanted organ.

Complications

Many of listeria infections are mild. Some infected people have no symptoms. But sometimes, listeria infection can cause serious medical problems or emergency situations. These risks rise if the treatment is delayed or not given.

A listeria infection of the bloodstream can cause the body to have a bad reaction called sepsis. This can lead to the organs damage or death.

A listeria infection of the nervous system can lead to:

  • Problems with balance, walking and coordination.
  • Difficulty moving one side of the body.
  • Nerve problems.
  • The hearing loss.
  • Seizures.
  • Death.

Babies with life-threatening listeria infections of thand of the blood or the brain may develop conditions of life, such as:

  • Intellectual disability.
  • The paralysis.
  • Seizures.
  • Blindness.
  • Conditions that affect the brain, the kidneys or the heart.

Prevention

To prevent infection by listeria, follow a few simple guidelines of food safety:

  • Keep things clean. Wash your hands with soap and warm water before and after handling or preparing food. Wash them for at least 20 seconds. After cooking, use hot water and soap to wash the utensils, cutting boards and other surfaces that the food prepared at.
  • Washing raw vegetables. Clean raw vegetables with a broom or a vegetable brush under plenty of running water. Do this before eating, peel, cut and cook the vegetables.
  • Do not rinse raw meat or poultry. This helps to prevent the bacteria from spreading to other surfaces in the kitchen.
  • Cook food thoroughly. Use a food thermometer to ensure that meat, poultry and eggs are cooked to a safe temperature.
  • Refrigerate foods. This helps to keep perishable foods to spoil. Set your refrigerator temperature at 40 degrees F or less. Keep your freezer at 0 degrees F or less.

Precautions for people at particular risk

If you are pregnant or have a weak immune system, be more careful with listeria. Takand added security measures with these types of foods:

  • Soft cheeses and Mexican cheeses. Don't eat these, even if they were made with pasteurized milk. Some examples of soft cheeses are feta, brie, Camembert, and blue cheese. The mexican cheeses typicaland queso blanco and queso fresco.
  • Hot dogs and deli meats.Stay away from these, unless they are reheated until steaming hot. Keep the fluid from hot dog packages away from other foods, utensils, and surfaces on which food is prepared. Wash your hands after shippingthese products. The use of any opened hotdog packages in the refrigerator within a week. The use of closed packages within two weeks. When you refrigerate lunch and sausages or meat sliced at your deli, the use of open packages within 3 to 5 days. The use of closed packages orf factory sealed (lunch and sausages within two weeks of storage in the refrigerator.
  • Meat spreads. Do not eat meat refrigerated spreads sold at a deli or meat counter, or a store in the refrigerated section. Canned meat spreads are good. So are perishable differential, which can be safely stored at room temperature. Refrigerate after opening, though.
  • Smoked fish. These products may be labeled as nova style, lox, kippered, or jerky. It is okay to eat cooked dishes. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood alsoh, okay.
  • Raw or lightly cooked sprouts. Cook the sprouts of any kind of background.
  • Cut the melon. Eat the fruit immediately or refrigerate. Keep the refrigerator at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less, and the use of a period of seven days. Dispose of any cut melon that is left at room temperature for more than four hours.
  • The raw milk or dairy products, also called unpasteurhoisting of the milk. Do not use these at all. Only the use of pasteurized milk and dairy products. Make sure that the label of the product says "pasteurized."

Hot dogs and deli meats. Stay away from these, unless they are reheated until steaming hot. Keep the fluid from hot dog packages away from other foods, utensils, and surfaces on which food is prepared. Wash your hands after handling these products.

The use of any opened hotdog packages in the refrigerator within a week. The use of closed packages within two weeks. When you refrigerate lunch andli meat or meat sliced at your deli, the use of open packages within 3 to 5 days. The use of closed packages of factory sealed (lunch and sausages within two weeks of storage in the refrigerator.

Listeria infection

Diagnosis

Often, health professionals to do a blood test to find out if you have an infection by listeria. Samples of cerebrospinal fluid may need to be evaluated. If you are pregnant, the fluid that surrounds the baby during pregnancy can also be tested.

Treatment

Treatment of listeria infectivaries. Depends on the severity of the symptoms. Most people with mild symptoms do not need treatment. More serious infections can be treated with medications that clean of infections caused by bacteria. These are called antibiotics.

During pregnancy, prompt antibiotic treatment could help to keep the infection from affecting the baby.

Preparing for your appointment

If you have eaten food that has been recalled due to listeria contamination, be aware of the presence of listeria symptoms of the infection. See a healthcare profesprofessional if you have any of the symptoms.

What you can do

Before your check, write a list that answers the following questions:

  • What are the symptoms and when do they start?
  • Are you pregnant? If so, how far away is that?
  • Are being treated for other medical conditions?
  • What medications and supplements do you take?

You also might want to write a food journal. List of all the foods you have eaten for as far back as you can remember. Tell your health care professional if the food that you have eaten have been removed from the market.

What to expect from your doctor

Your health care professional may ask if you've recently eaten:

  • Soft cheeses, such as brie, Camembert, or feta.
  • Mexican-style cheeses, such as queso blanco, or queso fresco.
  • The raw milk or cheeses from raw milk, also called unpasteurized milk.
  • Processed meats such as hot dogs or sausages.
  • All foods which have been withdrawn from the market.
Symptoms and treatment of Listeria infection