Listeriosis: A Serious Infection Caused by Listeria Monocytogenes

 **Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It is a foodborne illness that can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, meningitis, and other severe health problems.

**What is Listeria monocytogenes?**

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous bacterium that can be found in soil, water, and plants. It can also be found in the feces of animals. Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative anaerobe, meaning that it can grow with or without oxygen. It is also a psychrotroph, meaning that it can grow at low temperatures.

**How do people get listeriosis?**

People get listeriosis by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Some of the foods that are most commonly associated with listeriosis include:

* Deli meats and hot dogs

* Unpasteurized milk and cheese

* Soft cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert

* Raw or undercooked poultry and meat

* Raw sprouts

* Cantaloupe

**Who is at risk for listeriosis?**

Pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for listeriosis. Pregnant women are more likely to become ill and to experience miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature birth. Newborns can develop listeriosis from their mothers before or after birth. Older adults and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop serious complications from listeriosis.

**Symptoms of listeriosis**

Symptoms of listeriosis can vary depending on the individual's age and health status. Pregnant women may experience mild flu-like symptoms, such as fever, muscle aches, and headache. However, listeriosis can also cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature birth in pregnant women.

Newborns may develop listeriosis shortly after birth or up to several months later. Symptoms of listeriosis in newborns can include fever, irritability, lethargy, and seizures.

Older adults and people with weakened immune systems may develop serious complications from listeriosis, such as meningitis, sepsis, and endocarditis. Symptoms of these complications can include fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, and seizures.

**Treatment for listeriosis**

Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Pregnant women who are diagnosed with listeriosis are treated with antibiotics to prevent the infection from spreading to their unborn baby. Newborns and adults with listeriosis are also treated with antibiotics.

**Prevention of listeriosis**

There are a number of things that people can do to prevent listeriosis, including:

* Cooking meat, poultry, and fish to a safe internal temperature

* Avoiding unpasteurized milk and cheese

* Avoiding soft cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert

* Washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them

* Refrigerating food promptly

* Cleaning kitchen surfaces and utensils regularly

People at high risk for listeriosis, such as pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, should take additional precautions to prevent listeriosis, such as:

* Avoiding deli meats and hot dogs unless they have been heated to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit

* Avoiding raw or undercooked poultry and meat

* Avoiding raw sprouts

* Cantaloupe should be peeled before eating

If you have any concerns about listeriosis, talk to your doctor.

Source 😀 bard.google.com