What is Listeria?
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that is often found in soil, water, vegetables, animal feed and in human and animal feces.
Animals carrying the bacterium can lead to contamination of meats and dairy products.
How can I contract listeriosis?
Listeriosis is contracted by eating food -- such as dairy products, vegetables, fish and meat -- contaminated with listeria.
Listeria can also be spread through contact with a contaminated surface, such as a countertop, and it can grow slowly on foods kept in a refrigerator.
Babies can be born with listeriosis if their mothers eat contaminated foods during pregnancy.
If I've eaten contaminated meat, will I definitely get the disease?
The risk of developing listeriosis if you have eaten contaminated foods is very small, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What are the symptoms of listeriosis?
The disease may cause flu-like symptoms, nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, headache, constipation and persistent fever.
Symptoms generally appear between two to 30 days after contact with the bacterium. However, they can occur up to 70 days after contamination.
Flu-like symptoms can be followed by a brain or blood infection -- either of which can be deadly.
Who are the most at risk?
Young children, elderly and those with poor immune systems are high risk.
A pregnant woman who contracts the disease could miscarry within the first three months of pregnancy. If the disease happens later in the pregnancy, the baby could be stillborn or acutely ill.
Can listeriosis be treated?
Antibiotics are used to treat those who contact the disease. However, even with treatment, some infections result in death.
What can I do to protect myself?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency suggests:
- Not to keep foods at temperatures between 4 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius.
- Refrigerate food promptly and thoroughly cook or boil items such as hot dogs and poultry.
- Avoid raw, unpasteurised milk or foods made from raw milk cheese.
- Wash raw vegetables thoroughly.
- Wash hands before, during and after handling food, especially raw meat.
- Clean utensils and surfaces with a mild bleach solution.
- Use different utensils for raw and cooked foods.
- If pregnant, avoid soft cheeses such as brie and feta.
Based on information provided by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
