Table of Contents
What is the epidemiology of Listeria?
Listeriosis mainly affects pregnant women, newborns, adults aged 65 years or older, and people with weakened immune systems. People without these risk factors sometimes get infected, but they rarely have serious disease.
How is Listeria treated?
Most people with mild symptoms require no treatment. More-serious infections can be treated with antibiotics.
How serious is Listeria?
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.
How long does Listeria stay in your blood?
The majority of people with Listeria infections spontaneously clear the infection in about seven days. However, those patients at increased risk, especially pregnant women, usually require immediate IV antibiotic treatment to prevent, halt, or slow the development of more severe disease.
What is Listeria most commonly found in?
Listeriosis is caused by Listeria, a type of bacteria that is commonly found in water, soil, and feces. Humans are infected when they consume foods that harbor the bacteria. The most common foods to cause listeriosis outbreaks are deli meats and unpasteurized dairy products.
What does Listeria do to your body?
Listeria can cause fever and diarrhea (loose stool/poop) similar to other foodborne germs, but this type of Listeria infection is rarely diagnosed. Symptoms vary in people with invasive listeriosis, meaning the bacteria has spread beyond the gut. Symptoms start 1 to 4 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria.
Is Listeria killed by vinegar?
Two other household products that can be effective against Listeria on food contact surfaces are hydrogen peroxide (available in 3% concentration) and distilled white vinegar (available in 5% concentration). Cooking foods thoroughly will destroy any Listeria that may be present on the food.