Listeriosis

Listeriosis Affects More People with Certain Diseases

​A foodborne disease, listeriosis is caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes and rarely by bacterium Listeria ivanovii which is different from other germs because it can grow even in cold temperature, including the refrigerator. This bacterium was recognized as a major foodborne pathogen in the latter part of the 20th century.
Foodborne listeriosis is one of the most serious and severe foodborne diseases but a rare occurrence. It affects only 0.1 to 10 cases per 1 million people every year region-wise. When the occurrence is so rare, what makes it so dreadful is the high death rates due to the infection which makes it an important public health concern.

Sources
Foods that cause listeriosis mainly fall under two categories:

• Foods that have a long shelf life when refrigerated
• Foods that are consumed in their present state without further treatment such as cooking (this kills the bacteria).
  
  

Main infection routes include contaminated foods that contain innumerable amounts of L. monocytogenes. Raw milk, foods prepared from raw milk, poultry, cattle, food processing plants, ready-to-eat products such as frankfurters, meat spread, smoked salmon, fermented raw meat sausages, dairy products (soft cheese, ice cream and unpasteurized milk), prepared salads (coleslaw, bean sprouts), vegetables and fruits are common sources of listeria.

High-risk Category
Though not age-specific, this disease primarily affects newborns, pregnant women, elderly people and adults with weakened immune systems. Healthy people are the rarest of the rare to be affected by listeriosis.
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1. Pregnant women are 20 times likelier to be affected than others. Almost one-third of listeriosis occurs during pregnancy and such infections can result in miscarriage, stillbirth and preterm labor.
2. Newborns are even more affected than the pregnant women which can cause sepsis or meningitis in them. Neonate listeriosis can be classified as early (within 6 days of birth) or late (7-28 days after birth) onset.
3. Infections can be transmitted between humans, mainly from pregnant women to fetuses.
4. Individuals with cancer, AIDS, diabetes or kidney disease
5. People who take glucocorticosteroids medications
6. Elderly population
7. Organ transplant patients receiving drugs to prevent the body from rejecting the organ
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Ways to Minimize Risk
It is possible to minimize your risk of food poisoning by ensuring certain things.

• Cook raw food from animal sources such as beef, pork and poultry thoroughly
• Wash produce well before consuming. Washing produce still retains numerous pesticides nowadays and it is better to buy organic produce, if possible. Check out the dirtiest and cleanest fruits and vegetables of 2018 at www.firsteatright.com and try buying organic ones at least for the top 3 dirty produce.
• Never take unpasteurized milk or products made of such milk.
• Never eat luncheon or deli meats until they are reheated until steaming hot.
• Do not eat refrigerated meat spreads or smoked seafood (unless closed well).
• Wash hands, knives, countertops and cutting boards after preparing food using uncooked or raw food products.
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Treatment
When diagnosed at an initial stage, listeriosis is easy to treat. Antibiotics are generally used to treat this illness and infections during pregnancy should immediately be dealt using antibiotics to prevent infections of the fetus or newborn.

A Major Foodborne Illness in our Country
Listeria monocytogenes are the second deadliest foodborne microbes after Salmonella. Developed and under-developed countries have decreased awareness of the disease. Ready-to-eat foods have become an indispensable part of our lives and hence, acquiring the bacteria Listeria is inevitable. Power cuts are also regularly seen across the entire nation and refrigerating foods at a particular temperature continuously in these conditions is impossible. Produce such as cabbages, coriander, broccoli, cantaloupe, watermelon and apple are said to contain maximum pathogens. In such conditions, we must take extra care to follow the suggestions mentions above to minimize risk.