Listeria Be Aware To Avoid It
Listeria is a genus of bacteria that contains 10 species each containing two subspecies. Named
after the English pioneer of sterile surgery Joseph Lister,
the genus received its current name in 1940. Listeria species are facultatively
anaerobic, non-spore formingbacilli. The
major human pathogen in the Listeria genus is L. monocytogenes.
It is usually the causative agent of the relatively rare bacterial disease, listeriosis, a serious infection caused by
eating food contaminated with the bacteria. The disease affects primarily
pregnant women, newborns, adults with weakened immune systems, and the elderly.
Listeriosis is a serious disease for humans; the overt form of
the disease has a case-fatality
rate of about 20
percent. The two main clinical manifestations are sepsis and meningitis. Meningitis is often complicated by encephalitis, a pathology that is unusual for
bacterial infections. Listeria
ivanovii is a pathogen of
mammals, specifically ruminants,
and has rarely caused listeriosis in humans.
What is Listeriosis?
Listeriosis, a serious infection usually caused by eating food
contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes
, is an important public
health problem in the United States . The disease primarily
affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune
systems.
However, rarely, people without these risk factors can also be affected. The
risk may be reduced by following a few simple recommendations.
What are the Symptoms of Listeriosis?
A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches,
sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Almost
everyone who is diagnosed with listeriosis has "invasive" infection,
in which the bacteria spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms
vary with the infected person:
- Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience fever and other non-specific
symptoms, such as fatigue and aches. However, infections during pregnancy can
lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening
infection of the newborn.
- People other than pregnant women: Symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of
balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches.
Listeriosis can present in different ways. In older adults
and people with immunecompromising conditions, septicemia and meningitis are the most common
clinical presentations 2. Pregnant women may
experience a fever and other non-specific symptoms, such as fatigue and aches,
followed by fetal loss or bacteremia and meningitis in their newborns .
Immunocompetent people may experience acute febrile gastroenteritis or no
symptoms
Key point 1: Invasive listeriosis is rare
but deadly.
·
An estimated 1,600 cases of
invasive listeriosis and 260 related deaths occur annually in the United
States.
·
An estimated 18% of patients
with listeriosis die.
·
Overall, Listeria monocytogenes ranks third as a cause of death
due to major known foodborne pathogens in the United States.
Key point 2: Certain
well-defined groups are at higher risk for invasive listeriosis.
Higher-risk groups include
persons who have compromised cell-mediated immunity:
·
Older adults. In the 2011 outbreak, the median age of patients was 77 years.
In fact, the incidence of listeriosis increases steadily with age after about
age 50.
·
Patients undergoing
transplants or receiving immunosuppressive medications.
·
Persons with other
immunocompromising conditions.
Well-established conditions that confer risk are AIDS and certain malignancies,
especially hematologic. Some studies have found an increased risk with:
o
Liver disease;
o
Kidney disease;
o
Insulin-dependent diabetes; and
o
Alcoholism.
·
Pregnant women. In pregnant women, listeriosis may present as a non-specific,
"flu-like illness" or be asymptomatic. The woman does not become
seriously ill. However, listeriosis can cause:
o
Fetal loss;
o
Premature labor; and
o
Neonatal sepsis, meningitis,
and death.
Key point 3: For higher-risk groups, food preparation, storage habits and
food preferences should be considered modifiable risk factors.
·
Unlike most bacterial causes of
foodborne illness, Listeria
monocytogenes can continue to
grow at refrigeration temperatures. This means that storage times are an
important consideration for prevention of listeriosis, particularly for foods
that are known to favor growth ofListeria. According
to a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) risk assessment, some
of the most highrisk foods include soft cheeses, unpasteurized dairy products
(including raw milk); deli and lunch meats, cold cuts, hot dogs, pâté, and meat
spreads.
·
Only 5% of the cases were
pregnancy-associated during the 2011 outbreak. By comparison, almost two-thirds
of cases were pregnancy-associated during the next largest listeriosis
outbreak, which occurred in 1985 and was associated with Mexican-style cheese.
Most of the women with pregnancy-associated listeriosis were Hispanic.
Differences in the frequency of pregnancy-associated listeriosis during
outbreaks indicate that cultural food preferences can affect risk.
Prevention
Preventing listeriosis as a food illness
requires effective sanitation of food contact surfaces. Alcohol is an effective topical sanitizer against Listeria. Quaternary
ammonium can be used in conjunction with alcohol as a
food contact safe sanitizer with increased duration of the sanitizing action.
Refrigerated foods in the home should be kept below 4 °C (39.2 °F) to
discourage bacterial growth. Preventing listeriosis also can be done by
carrying out an effective sanitation of food contact surfaces
Listeria in hummus prompts national recall by Sabra
The presence of potential listeria in several
samples of hummus has prompted a national recall by Virginia-based Sabra
Dipping Co. of 30,000 cases of Classic Hummus.
Samples from the prepackaged product were
collected for testing, and the results came back days later. Michigan officials
alerted inspectors in Virginia and officials with the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration who, in turn, are working with Sabra.
The recall is limited to five stock unit, or
SKU, numbers of Classic Hummus. No other Sabra product is affected at this
time.
U.S. Consumers should discard packages with the
following codes, which are located on the top of each package. They can also
return them for a refund, Holton said.
Consumers with any questions can call Sabra at
888-957-2272 weekdays.
These are the codes:
040822011143/300067 – Sabra Classic, 10 oz. –
3-059/Best before May 11;
040822011143/300067 – Sabra Classic 10 oz. -
3-060/Best before May 15
040822014687/300074 – Sabra Classic, 30 oz. –
3-059/Best before May 11
040822342049/301216 – Sabra Classic Without
Garnish, 32 oz. – 3-059/Best before May 11
040822017497/301290 – Sabra Classic, 17 oz. Six
Pack – 3-058/Best before May 11
040822017497/301290 – Sabra Classic, 17 oz. Six
Pack – 3-059/Best before May 11
040822342209/301283 – Hummus Dual Pack
Classic/Garlic – 3-058/Best before May 11
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