Listeriosis
 Print this fact sheet

Listeriosis is a serious disease caused by the bacteria Listeria  monocytogenes. It usually will cause a mild fever but can cause encephalitis or sepicemia in children and adults. Those at highest risk are infants, the elderly, people with weaken immune systems. In pregnant women, the infection can result in preterm delivery miscarriage, still birth or life threatening infections in the baby.

It can be found in soil and water. Animals can carry the bacteria without appearing ill. Many human cases result from eating food contaminated with the bacteria.

The symptoms of Listeriosis include: fever, sometimes preceded by diarrhea; headache, muscle aches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.  

In most cases Listeriosis occurs when a person eats food that has been contaminated with Listeria. It cannot be spread from person-to-person.

Listeria is killed by pasteurization and cooking; however, in some ready-to-eat foods, such as hot dogs and deli meats, contamination may occur after factory cooking but before packaging. Unlike most bacteria, Listeria can grow and multiply in some foods in the refrigerator. 

• Thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources, such as beef, pork or poultry to a safe internal temperature.

•  Rinse raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running tap water before eating. Wash the outside of melons prior to cutting the fruit.

•  Keep uncooked meats and poultry separate from vegetables and from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.

•  Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk, and do not eat foods that have unpasteurized milk in them.

•  Wash hands, knives, countertops and cutting boards after handling and preparing uncooked foods.

• Consume perishable and ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible.

Those with weakened immune systems, including pregnant women, should also avoid certain:

Meats

• Do not eat hot dogs, cold cuts, other deli meats (e.g., bologna), or fermented or dry sausages unless they are heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot just before serving.
• Avoid getting fluid from hot dog and lunch meat packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, and deli meats.
• Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads from a deli or meat counter or from the refrigerated section of a store. Foods that do not need refrigeration, like canned or shelf-stable pâté and meat spreads, are safe to eat. Refrigerate after opening.

Cheeses

• Do not eat soft cheese such as feta, queso blanco, queso fresco, brie, Camembert, blue-veined, or panela (queso panela) unless it is labeled as made with pasteurized milk.

Seafood

• Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole, or unless it is a canned or shelf-stable product. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked" or "jerky." These fish are typically found in the refrigerator section or sold at seafood and deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned and shelf stable tuna, salmon, and other fish products are safe to eat.
  

• Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or lower and the freezer 0°F or lower. Use an appliance thermometer to check the temperature.

• Clean up all spills in your refrigerator right away–especially juices from hot dog and lunch meat packages, raw meat and raw poultry.

•  Clean the inside walls and shelves of your refrigerator with hot water and liquid soap, then rinse.

• Divide leftovers into shallow containers to promote rapid, even cooling. Cover with airtight lids or enclose in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Use leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

• Use precooked or ready-to-eat food as soon as you can. Do not store the product in the refrigerator beyond the use-by date.

• Store opened packages of hot dogs no longer than 1 week and unopened package no longer than 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

• Luncheon and deli meat – store factory-sealed, unopened package no longer than 2 weeks. Store opened packages and meat sliced at a local deli no longer than 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

The initial symptoms of Listeriosis can take a long time to develop—up to 70 days. On average, symptoms occur within three weeks of consuming the contaminated product. If you develop flu-like symptoms within two months of eating contaminated food, contact your health care provider. He or she may do a blood or spinal fluid test.

Listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics. In serious cases, the illnesses can result in death, even with treatment.

Listeria is rare in Northern Kentucky—the average number of cases per year is less than 1.

For more information online, you can visit the Centers for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/.

Or, for more information, please call the Health Department at 859.363.2070.