Listeria

Listeria monocytogenes, commonly referred to as listeria, is found in soil, vegetation, sewage, water and the feces of animals and humans. Listeria has been found in uncooked meats, uncooked vegetables, unpasteurized milk, foods made from unpasteurized milk, and processed foods. Listeria is killed by pasteurization and cooking.

Listeria are known to be the bacteria responsible for listeriosis, a rare but lethal food-borne infection. People who eat foods contaminated with listeria may carry the bacteria and still not develop listeriosis. Those who are most vulnerable to developing the disease include the elderly, infants and patients with a compromised immune system.

Pregnant women who develop listeriosis in their first trimester are at risk of miscarriage while women in the later stages of pregnancy are at risk of delivering a stillborn or acutely ill infant. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, pregnant women are 20 times more likely than healthy adults to develop the disease.

People may experience the following symptoms after eating a contaminated product: vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, severe headache, constipation, persistent fever, stiff neck, loss of balance, convulsions. Symptoms may appear rapidly within hours or as late as 70 days after consuming a spoiled product.