The recent listeria outbreak in cantaloupe has been noted as the deadliest outbreak of food-related illness in more than 10 years in the United States. At least 16 deaths and 72 illnesses have been associated with listeria infection from Jensen Farms cantaloupes, according to news reports.
What is Listeria?
Listeriosis is a dangerous infection caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes).
Infection is rare, but when it does occur it most frequently affects pregnant women in their last trimester, newborns, and kids and adults whose immunity is weakened by diseases such as cancer or HIV. People who have had various types of transplants are also more at risk for listeriosis.
Listeria bacteria can be transmitted through soil and water. A person can also ingest listeria by eating certain foods, such as deli meats and cold cuts, soft-ripened cheese, milk, undercooked chicken, uncooked hot dogs, shellfish, and coleslaw made from contaminated cabbage. Many cases of infection, however, have no identifiable source.
Listeria infections may create symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, difficulty breathing, and poor feeding. Pregnant women who develop listeriosis may experience only mild flu-like symptoms, although they are at risk for premature delivery, miscarriage, and stillbirth.
How does it spread rapidly?
L. monocytogenes is found in soil and water.
• Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer.
• Animals can carry the bacteria and can contaminate meats and dairy products.
• Processed foods, such as soft cheeses and cold cuts, can be contaminated after processing.
• Unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk can be contaminated.
Who is most likely to get seriously ill from Listeria bacteria?
Healthy adults and children hardly ever become seriously ill from Listeria. However, people at increased risk of illness from Listeria bacteria include:
• Pregnant women: Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to get listeriosis than the average healthy adult
• Newborns
• People with weak immune systems
• People with cancer, diabetes, or kidney disease
• People with AIDS People with AIDS are 300 times more likely to get sick from Listeria than people with normal immune systems
• People who take gluticocorticosteroids such as cortisone
• Elderly people
Can Listeriosis be treated?
Treatment of listeria infection varies, depending on the severity of the signs and symptoms. Most people with mild symptoms require no treatment. More serious infections can be treated with antibiotics. During pregnancy, prompt antibiotic treatment may help keep the infection from affecting the baby. Newborns who have a listeria infection may receive a combination of antibiotics.
What we can do to Prevent Listeriosis?
Although there are no vaccines against the bacteria that cause listeriosis, you can help reduce the risk for your family by taking these food safety precautions:
• Always cook food (especially meat and eggs) thoroughly to the proper internal temperature.
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.
• Only drink pasteurized milk, and make sure that milk is refrigerated at the appropriate temperature, which is less than 40° Fahrenheit (4° Celsius).
• Avoid foods made from unpasteurized milk.
• If you're in a high-risk group, avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined and Mexican-style cheeses unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pasteurized milk.
• Reheat precooked, prepackaged foods such as deli meats or hot dogs to steaming hot temperatures, especially if you're pregnant.
People at High Risk (Pregnant women and people with weak immune systems)
• Do not eat hot dogs or lunch meats unless they are heated to a temperature sufficient to kill Listeria bacteria
• Avoid getting liquid from hot dog packages on other food
• Wash hands after handling hot dogs and lunch and deli meats
• Do not eat soft cheeses (e.g. feta, Brie, Camembert, blue cheese, and queso blanco) unless the label clearly states that they are pasteurized
• Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spread, only canned or shelf-stable ones
• Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, sometimes labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” or “jerky.” Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood is ok.
What should you do if you've eaten a food recalled because of Listeria contamination?
The risk of an individual person developing Listeria infection after consumption of a contaminated product is very small. If you have eaten a contaminated product and do not have any symptoms, we do not recommend that you have any tests or treatment, even if you are in a high-risk group. However, if you are in a high-risk group, have eaten the contaminated product, and within 2 months become ill with fever or signs of serious illness, you should contact your physician and inform him or her about this exposure.
What happen if not treated well?
Most of the time listeria infections are mild and they may go unnoticed. However, in some cases, a listeria infection can lead to life-threatening complications including:
• A generalized blood infection (septicemia)
• Inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain (meningitis)
Complications of a listeria infection may be most severe for an unborn baby. Early in pregnancy, a listeria infection may lead to miscarriage. Later in pregnancy, a listeria infection may lead to stillbirth, premature birth or a potentially fatal infection in the baby after birth even if the mother becomes only mildly ill.
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.com
http://www.medicinenet.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com
http://www.medic8.com
http://kidshealth.org
http://www.webmd.com
http://www.cdc.gov
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