Listeria Disease: Symptoms and Causes

Listeria infection is a

foodborne bacterial illness

that can be fatal in pregnant women, people over the age of 65, and those with compromised immune systems. It is most usually caused by eating inadequately processed deli meats and unpasteurized milk products.

Listeria infections rarely cause illness in healthy people, but the illness can be fatal to neonates, unborn children, and adults with compromised immune systems. The symptoms of listeria infection can be mitigated with prompt antibiotic treatment.

Listeria bacteria are resistant to freezing and refrigeration. Therefore, those who are more susceptible to serious infections should refrain from consuming foods that are most likely to contain listeria bacteria.

Symptoms

If you contract a listeria infection, you may experience:

• Fever
• Chills
• Muscle aches
• Nausea
• Diarrhoea

It may take a few days for symptoms to appear after eating infected food, but it often takes 30 days or longer for an infection to manifest itself.

Signs and symptoms of listeria infection that affect the neurological system include:

• Headache
• Rigid neck
• Confusion or alterations in alertness
• Loss of equilibrium
• Convulsions

Symptoms during pregnancy and in newborns

Listeria infection is likely to affect the mother during pregnancy but only results in minor signs and symptoms. The results for the baby, however, might be disastrous; the infant may pass away in the womb or get a potentially fatal infection within a few days of birth.

The subtle signs and symptoms of listeria infection in a baby can include:

• Very little desire to feed
• Irritability
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Having trouble breathing

When to see a doctor

Watch for disease symptoms if you’ve consumed an item that has been recalled due to a listeria outbreak. Contact your doctor if you experience a fever, muscle pains, nausea, or diarrhoea. The same holds for illnesses brought on by consuming potentially contaminated products like unpasteurized milk-based foods or improperly heated deli meats or hot dogs.

Seek emergency care if you have a high temperature, a bad headache, a stiff neck, disorientation, or sensitivity to light. These warning signs and symptoms may point to bacterial meningitis, a potentially fatal listeria infection consequence.

Causes

Listeria bacteria are present in water, excrement from animals, and soil. These foods can cause infection in people:

• Contaminated raw veggies that have come from the soil or contaminated manure that has been used as fertiliser
• Infected meat
• Meals prepared with unpasteurized milk or unpasteurized milk itself
• Several processed goods, including infected deli meats, soft cheeses, and hot dogs

Listeria infections can spread from the mother to the foetus.