Listeria Monocytogenes
What is Listeria Monocytogenes?
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that is ubiquitous in the environment. It is commonly found in a variety of foods, including raw meat, raw vegetables, unpasteurised milk and some processed foods including cheese.
Listeria infection, or listeriosis, is caused by the consumption of foods contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. It is not a common illness but potentially very serious with a fatality rate as high as 30% amongst high-risk people.
Who is at high risk?
• Pregnant women
• Unborn and newborn babies
• Elderly
• Immunocompromised people (people with an immune system weakened by illness or drugs)
Symptoms
Symptoms usually appear between 3 and 70 days after consuming listeria-infected food.
Most healthy people will develop few or no symptoms. For those at risk, symptoms may include fever, headache, tiredness, aches and pains. Diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal cramping are also possible but less common. More serious forms of listeria infection result in shock, convulsions, meningitis and septicaemia.
Infection in pregnant women, even if mild, can affect the foetus. It may cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth or complications in the newborn.
High risk foods
• Ready-to-eat seafood including smoked fish, oysters, sashimi and sushi.
• Raw fruit and vegetables that receive inadequate washing.
• Pre-cooked meat products eaten without further cooking, such as paté, sliced deli meat.
• Unpasteurised milk or unpasteurised milk products.
• Soft-serve ice cream.
• Soft cheeses, such as Brie, ricotta and feta (safe if cooked and served hot).
Preventing Listeria Infections
Unlike most other food-contaminating bacteria, Listeria can grow in the refrigerator. You can reduce the risk of Listeria infection and other food-borne illnesses, with basic food hygiene and food storage rules:
• Wash your hands before preparing food and between handling raw and ready-to-eat foods.
• Store raw
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that is ubiquitous in the environment. It is commonly found in a variety of foods, including raw meat, raw vegetables, unpasteurised milk and some processed foods including cheese.
Listeria infection, or listeriosis, is caused by the consumption of foods contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. It is not a common illness but potentially very serious with a fatality rate as high as 30% amongst high-risk people.
Who is at high risk?
• Pregnant women
• Unborn and newborn babies
• Elderly
• Immunocompromised people (people with an immune system weakened by illness or drugs)
Symptoms
Symptoms usually appear between 3 and 70 days after consuming listeria-infected food.
Most healthy people will develop few or no symptoms. For those at risk, symptoms may include fever, headache, tiredness, aches and pains. Diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal cramping are also possible but less common. More serious forms of listeria infection result in shock, convulsions, meningitis and septicaemia.
Infection in pregnant women, even if mild, can affect the foetus. It may cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth or complications in the newborn.
High risk foods
• Ready-to-eat seafood including smoked fish, oysters, sashimi and sushi.
• Raw fruit and vegetables that receive inadequate washing.
• Pre-cooked meat products eaten without further cooking, such as paté, sliced deli meat.
• Unpasteurised milk or unpasteurised milk products.
• Soft-serve ice cream.
• Soft cheeses, such as Brie, ricotta and feta (safe if cooked and served hot).
Preventing Listeria Infections
Unlike most other food-contaminating bacteria, Listeria can grow in the refrigerator. You can reduce the risk of Listeria infection and other food-borne illnesses, with basic food hygiene and food storage rules:
• Wash your hands before preparing food and between handling raw and ready-to-eat foods.
• Store raw