What is listeriosis?
Listeriosis is a disease that results from an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, the transmission of which is associated with the ingestion of contaminated food
What are the symptoms of listeriosis?
Similar to other diseases transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food, listeriosis can cause symptoms such as:
- fever
- Chills
- nausea
- Vomiting
- diarrhea
- muscle aches and pains
These symptoms can last between 5 and 10 days.
The average incubation period is 24 hours, ranging between 6 hours and 10 days.
How is the listeriosis bacterium transmitted?
Transmission of the bacteria can occur in the following situations:
- direct contact with animals carrying the bacterium
- Consumption of contaminated food and food products, of animal and plant origin, processed or not, such as:
- raw beef, pork, or poultry
- crustaceans, shellfish or molluscs
- Unpasteurized milk and dairy products
- raw or poorly washed fruits and vegetables
- from mother to fetus (vertical transmission) or during passage through the birth canal
How is listeriosis diagnosed?
The diagnosis of listeriosis is made by identifying the symptoms and confirming the presence of the bacteria by performing laboratory tests.
What are the risk groups for this disease?
Listeriosis is an uncommon infection, but it tends to pose a higher risk to the following people:
- immunocompromised people
- Pregnant women
- Newborn babies
- Elderly
Is it possible to prevent listeriosis?
To avoid listeriosis, it is important to be careful in the way you prepare and handle food:
- Cook food thoroughly
- Avoid eating raw foods of animal origin
- Wash the fruit and vegetables thoroughly
- Consume food as soon as possible after cooking
- Avoid contact between raw and cooked food
- in the refrigerator keep the refrigeration temperature at ≤ 4º C
- Protect food from contact with animals
- Reinforce good hand hygiene after handling raw food
- Clean surfaces, equipment and utensils that are in contact with food thoroughly
Is listeriosis a serious disease?
Generally, the disease is not difficult to treat and the infection may even go away without treatment. However, for some groups, contamination by this bacterium can pose a greater risk and cause more serious disease effects with complications at different levels:
- Generalised infection
- meningitis
- encephalitis
- miscarriage
- Stillborn
What is the treatment for listeriosis?
The treatment of the infection consists of the use of antibiotic therapy for symptomatic treatment according to the presentation of the disease.
Source: Directorate-General for Health (DGS)