What are the signs of listeria
Listeria infection (listeriosis) - Symptoms and causes
Overview
Listeria infection is a foodborne bacterial illness that can be very serious for pregnant women, people older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems. It's most commonly caused by eating improperly processed deli meats and unpasteurized milk products.
Healthy people rarely become ill from listeria infection, but the disease can be fatal to unborn babies, newborns and people with weakened immune systems. Prompt antibiotic treatment can help curb the effects of listeria infection.
Listeria bacteria can survive refrigeration and even freezing. So people who are at higher risk of serious infections should avoid eating the types of food most likely to contain listeria bacteria.
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Symptoms
If you develop a listeria infection, you might have:
- Fever
- Chills
- Muscle aches
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
Symptoms might begin a few days after you've eaten contaminated food, but it can take 30 days or more before the first signs and symptoms of infection begin.
If the listeria infection spreads to your nervous system, signs and symptoms can include:
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Confusion or changes in alertness
- Loss of balance
- Convulsions
Symptoms during pregnancy and in newborns
During pregnancy, a listeria infection is likely to cause only mild signs and symptoms in the mother. The consequences for the baby, however, can be devastating — the baby can die in the womb or have a life-threatening infection within a few days of being born.
Signs and symptoms of a listeria infection in a newborn can be subtle, but can include:
- Little interest in feeding
- Irritability
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Difficulty breathing
When to see a doctor
If you've eaten a food that's been recalled because of a listeria outbreak, watch for signs or symptoms of illness. If you have a fever, muscle aches, nausea or diarrhea, contact your doctor.
The same goes for illness after eating a potentially contaminated product, such as foods made with unpasteurized milk or poorly heated hot dogs or deli meats.
If you have a high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, confusion or sensitivity to light, seek emergency care. These signs and symptoms can indicate bacterial meningitis, a life-threatening complication of a listeria infection.
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Causes
Listeria bacteria can be found in soil, water and animal feces. People can get infected by eating the following:
- Raw vegetables that have been contaminated from the soil or from contaminated manure used as fertilizer
- Contaminated meat
- Unpasteurized milk or foods made with unpasteurized milk
- Certain processed foods — such as soft cheeses, hot dogs and deli meats that have been contaminated after processing
Unborn babies can contract a listeria infection from the mother.
Risk factors
Pregnant women and people who have weak immune systems are at highest risk of contracting a listeria infection.
Pregnant women and their babies
Pregnant women are much more susceptible to listeria infections than are other healthy adults. Although a listeria infection might cause only a mild illness in pregnant women, consequences for their babies can include:
- Miscarriage
- Stillbirth
- Premature birth
- A potentially fatal infection after birth
People who have weak immune systems
This category includes people who:
- Are older than 65
- Have AIDS
- Are receiving chemotherapy
- Have diabetes or kidney disease
- Take high-dose prednisone or certain rheumatoid arthritis drugs
- Take medications to block rejection of a transplanted organ
Complications
Most listeria infections are so mild they can go unnoticed. However, in some cases, a listeria infection can lead to life-threatening complications, including:
- Generalized blood infection
- Inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain (meningitis)
Prevention
To prevent a listeria infection, follow simple food safety guidelines:
- Keep things clean.
Wash your hands thoroughly with warm, soapy water before and after handling or preparing food. After cooking, use hot, soapy water to wash the utensils, cutting boards and other food preparation surfaces. - Scrub raw vegetables. Clean raw vegetables with a scrub brush or vegetable brush under plenty of running water.
- Cook your food thoroughly. Use a food thermometer to make sure your meat, poultry and egg dishes are cooked to a safe temperature.
Precautions for people particularly at risk
If you're pregnant or you have a weak immune system, be particularly cautious about listeria. Take additional precautions with these types of foods:
- Soft cheeses and Mexican-style cheeses. Don't eat soft cheeses such, as feta, brie, Camembert or blue cheese, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco and queso fresco, unless it's clear from the packaging that the product was made using pasteurized milk.
- Hot dogs and deli meats. Avoid these unless they're reheated until steaming hot. Keep fluid from hot dog packages away from other foods, utensils and food preparation surfaces. Wash your hands after handling these products.
- Meat spreads. Don't eat refrigerated meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable — meaning they can be safely stored at room temperature — meat spreads are acceptable. Refrigerate after opening.
- Smoked seafood. These products can be labeled as nova style, lox, kippered or jerky. It's OK to eat them in cooked dishes. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood is acceptable.
- Raw or lightly cooked sprouts. Cook sprouts of any kind thoroughly.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
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Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Overview
What is listeriosis?
Listeriosis is a foodborne illness.
The germ Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis. Listeria monocytogenes is commonly found in nature, especially in soil, groundwater, rotting vegetation and animal feces (poop).
Most people get listeriosis from eating contaminated foods. The listeriosis incubation period (the time when you first get infected and when you first show symptoms) varies. It usually takes one to two weeks, but it can be as short as a couple of days or as long as three months.
Other names for listeriosis include L. monocytogenes and listeria.
In what foods is listeria found?
Contaminated foods are the most common cause of listeriosis infections. The most common foods that cause listeriosis include:
- Hot dogs.
- Deli meats.
- Fresh vegetables.
- Fresh fruits, especially melons.
- Unpasteurized dairy products (sterilized to kill bacteria).
These foods have the highest risk of L. monocytogenes contamination.
However, listeriosis can affect almost any improperly handled or prepared food.
The bacteria L. monocytogenes is unique from many other foodborne illnesses. It survives and even multiplies in low temperatures, including refrigerators and freezers. The bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels during storage.
Food that has spoiled breaks down and develops an unpleasant smell, taste or change in texture. When L. monocytogenes bacteria contaminate food, the smell, taste and texture don’t change.
Who does listeriosis affect?
Anyone can get listeriosis. However, it isn’t as dangerous for those with a healthy immune system. Those who are at the greatest risk of becoming very ill or dying include:
- Pregnant people.
- Developing fetuses.
- People 65 or older.
- People with a weakened immune system, usually from another condition (like AIDS or cancer) or taking prescribed immunosuppressive medications.
How common is listeria?
About 1,600 people get listeria in the United States each year.
Symptoms and Causes
Flu-like symptoms are common signs of listeriosis.What are the symptoms of listeriosis?
Listeriosis symptoms include:
- Fever.
- Chills.
- Headache.
- Upset stomach.
- Diarrhea.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Muscle aches.
- Confusion.
- Loss of balance.
- Convulsions (muscle contractions that you can’t control).
A severe listeriosis infection may spread to your bloodstream or brain. Severe infections may cause sepsis, meningitis or encephalitis.
What are the symptoms of listeriosis in pregnant people?
The most common symptoms of listeriosis in pregnant people are usually fever and other flu-like symptoms, especially fatigue and muscle aches.
Listeriosis may quickly cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and death in newborn babies without timely treatment.
What are the symptoms of listeriosis in newborn babies?
Listeriosis symptoms in newborn babies include:
- Fever.
- Vomiting.
- Constant crying.
- Trouble breathing (rapid breathing, short breaths and wheezing).
- No interest in eating.
How do you get listeriosis?
Most people contract listeriosis from contaminated food.
Pregnant people can transmit the L. monocytogenes bacteria to the fetus through the placenta. They can also transmit the bacteria to their babies in the birth canal.
Is listeriosis contagious?
You can’t pass listeriosis to another person unless a pregnant person passes it to the fetus.
Diagnosis and Tests
How do you know if you have listeriosis?
Your healthcare provider can diagnose listeriosis after evaluating your symptoms and conducting medical tests. Tests may include checking the following for the presence of L. monocytogenes:
- Blood.
- Cerebrospinal fluid (a clear fluid in your brain and spinal cord).
- Meconium (your baby’s first poop; it’s dark green and thicker and stickier than normal poop).
- Vomit.
- Food.
- Animal feed.
Your healthcare provider may order bacterial culture tests on your blood or placenta if you’re pregnant.
Management and Treatment
Can listeriosis be cured?
Yes, there is a cure for listeriosis. Your healthcare provider can prescribe antibiotics to rid your body of the infection.
Your healthcare provider is more likely to prescribe antibiotics to babies or if you’re pregnant, 65 or older or have a weakened immune system. Antibiotics commonly used to treat listeriosis include sulfamethoxazole (Bacter-Aid DS®) and ampicillin (Principen®).
Your provider may also prescribe medication to manage specific symptoms, including nausea and vomiting.
If you have mild symptoms, you may not need treatment.
If your baby is born with a listeriosis infection, your healthcare provider will give them antibiotics shortly after birth.
What are the side effects of antibiotics?
Side effects of antibiotics may include:
- Allergic reactions.
Allergic reactions may range from mild rashes and itching to skin blisters, swelling in your face and throat and difficulty breathing. Talk to your healthcare provider about any past drug reactions or allergies. - Clostridioides difficile. Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile or C. diff) is a bacteria that causes diarrhea.
- Antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change and get stronger so that antibiotic medicines can’t kill them or stop their growth. Bacterial infections then become difficult to treat with medications.
How do I manage my symptoms?
If you have listeriosis, the best way to manage your symptoms is to:
- Take prescription medications as directed by your healthcare provider.
- Rest.
- Drink lots of fluids.
- Eat a light diet.
- Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to manage fever and relieve muscle aches.
Not everyone can take NSAIDs. It’s a good idea to check with your healthcare provider before use.
How soon after treatment will I feel better?
Most people with a healthy immune system will feel better after a few days without treatment.
If you have a severe listeriosis infection, you should start to feel better three to five days after you start taking antibiotics.
It’s important to take your full course of antibiotics as prescribed by your healthcare provider, even if you start to feel better. If you don’t finish your full course of antibiotics, your listeriosis may come back and be more challenging to treat.
Prevention
How can I reduce my risk of contracting
listeria?If you have a weak immune system or are pregnant, it’s a good idea to take precautions with what you eat and drink and how you store and prepare food.
- Check product labels to ensure that any dairy products or juices are pasteurized. Avoid unpasteurized dairy products and juices.
- Wash your hands and any food surfaces before and after cooking.
- Use a scrub brush, clean running water and a fruit and vegetable wash to clean raw fruits and vegetables.
- Cook hot dogs, egg dishes, seafood and deli meats to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). If you can’t, you should avoid them.
- Don’t eat refrigerated pâté (pureed meat) or meat spreads from a deli or the meat counter at a grocery store. Foods that don’t require refrigeration, like canned or shelf-stable pâté and meat spreads, are safe to eat. Refrigerate these items after opening.
- Heat your leftovers until they are steaming hot. Don’t eat any leftovers if they are several days old.
- Wrap food in plastic wrap or foil, or place it in plastic bags or clean, covered containers before you place them in your refrigerator. Ensure that foods such as raw meat don’t leak juices onto other foods.
- Clean up any spills in your refrigerator right away, especially meat juices.
Outlook / Prognosis
What can I expect if I have listeriosis?
If you have a healthy immune system and develop listeriosis, you’ll usually feel better without treatment in about two days.
If you have a weakened immune system, are pregnant or have a baby, listeriosis may cause serious illness or death. Contact your healthcare provider right away. With a quick diagnosis and proper treatment, your stand a better chance of a full recovery.
Living With
When should I see my healthcare provider?
Call your healthcare provider if:
- You’re pregnant, over 65 or have a weakened immune system and display listeriosis symptoms.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled a food or drink that you’ve recently consumed because of a listeriosis outbreak.
- You have a baby who displays listeriosis symptoms.
- Your symptoms don’t go away a few days after starting antibiotics.
What questions should I ask my healthcare provider?
- How do you know that I have listeriosis?
- If I don’t have listeriosis, what other condition might I have?
- How did I get listeriosis?
- Do I need antibiotics or any other medications?
- For how long and at what times of the day should I take my medications?
- How should I store my medications?
- Is my fetus at risk of having listeriosis?
- How can I protect my fetus?
- How do you know that my newborn baby has listeriosis?
- What medications will you prescribe my newborn baby?
- Will my newborn baby have any long-term effects from listeriosis?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Listeriosis is a relatively rare bacterial infection.
It may have serious effects on pregnant people, fetuses, newborn babies, people 65 or older and people who have weakened immune symptoms. You’ll likely feel better after a few days without treatment if you have a healthy immune system. Talk to your healthcare provider right away if you notice any symptoms of listeriosis. Because listeriosis has an incubation period that may last up to a few months, it’s also a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider if you’ve consumed any recalled foods or drinks.
To help prevent a listeriosis infection, wash your hands, cook meats to a safe temperature and clean fruits and vegetables.
How to identify listeriosis and diagnose the disease in the Optimum medical laboratory in Sochi (Adler)
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How to detect listeriosis?
Listeriosis is an infectious disease that occurs in a chronic form or is accompanied by acute sepsis.
Thanks to the work of the circulatory system, the pathogen spreads throughout the body, forming foci of necrosis. The disease leads to dysfunction of the kidneys, liver, lungs and other organs. Only a few cases of listeriosis infection have been recorded in the country so far.
Causes of the development of the disease
The cause of the disease is a bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It lives in soil, plants, water bodies, animal faeces. The pathogen can contaminate food and drinking water. Sources of infection are wild species of rodents, domestic animals, cattle, ornamental birds.
Mechanism of transmission of listeriosis - airborne, oral, fecal. The pathogen releases bacteria from the body through various secretions (urine, saliva, blood, etc.). In 85% of cases, infection occurs due to food, provided there is no heat treatment. The causative agent transmits the infection during direct contact, as well as at the time of unprotected intercourse.
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Symptoms of listeriosis
Listeriosis goes through four stages of development:
1. Glandular form:
- fever;
- signs of organism intoxication;
- visual impairment.
2. Gastroenteric form:
- acute headache;
- nausea, retching, loose stools;
- muscle pain, joint spasms;
- secretion of blood and mucus. nine0005
3. Nervous form:
- dizziness, malaise;
- weakness, loss of consciousness;
- muscle cramps.
4. Septic form:
- sudden changes in temperature;
- skin rash;
- symptoms of pneumonia, hepatitis.
The incubation period of the disease varies from two days to several weeks.
In rare cases, it reaches six months or a year. nine0014
Basic diagnostic methods
For the diagnosis of listeriosis, laboratory research methods are used:
- Bacteriological analysis of blood , pharynx, placenta, lubrication, near-water. The bacteria may also be present in the patient's saliva and faeces.
- PCR, during which fragments of carrier DNA are sent for analysis. After diagnosis, consultation with an infectious disease specialist is necessary.
- Complex of serological tests. Based on its results, the type of immunoglobulin antibodies to the pathogen in the patient's serum is determined. nine0005
Treatment and prevention
In the early stages of development, the disease is easily treatable. To do this, doctors use drug therapy. The patient is prescribed antibiotics, in case of signs of dehydration of the body, saline solutions are administered. Additionally, anticonvulsant and antirheumatic drugs are prescribed. Treatment is carried out in the hospital or on an outpatient basis.
To prevent listeriosis eliminate unprocessed foods from your diet. Pour boiling water over vegetables and fruits, wash meat before cooking, store raw foods in a separate place. Animal processing facilities must adhere to strict sanitary and hygienic standards. nine0014
Listeriosis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment | doc.ua
Listeriosis is a disease that begins when Listeria monocytogenes enters the body. The disease is quite serious - in 30% of cases, listeriosis is fatal, so it is very important to know how to protect yourself from it. Listeriosis can develop in a few days or two months.
Attention!
Here you can choose a doctor who treats Listeriosis If you are not sure about the diagnosis, make an appointment with a general practitioner or general practitioner to clarify the diagnosis. nine0014
Causes
Usually, the causative agent of listeriosis enters the body along with contaminated foods, as a result of which, through the blood or through the lymphatic vessels, it enters the spleen, liver, lungs, lymph nodes and nervous system. This is how foci of necrosis appear in the body, which are called listeriomas. Listeriosis in humans develops depending on the strength of the immune system, which is why severe brain damage can be observed mainly only in infants and immunocompromised patients. nine0014
Listeriosis can be transmitted:
- through poorly cooked meat or root crops. The danger is fraught with soft cheeses and meat products that are in vacuum packaging;
- while caring for a patient with listeriosis;
- by inhaling dust in rooms where skins are dressed or animal wool is processed;
- due to an insect bite, more often a tick;
- sexually;
- due to transplantation of internal organs, mainly kidneys.
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Workers in poultry farms and farms are most at risk of contracting this disease, so you should be very careful about safety in such work.
Symptoms
As you know, the sooner the disease is detected, the easier it is to cure the patient. And therefore, in order to successfully cure listeriosis, the symptoms should be known now: this will help to identify the disease faster.
Analysis for listeriosis can reveal four forms of the disease: glandular (which, in turn, has anginal-glandular and ocular-glandular variants), gastroenteric, nervous, and septic. nine0014
Glandular variant:
- Anginal variant:
- high temperature;
- general intoxication of the body;
- signs characteristic of angina;
- enlargement of the spleen and liver.
- Eye variant:
- narrowing of the slits of the eyes;
- blurred vision;
- Conjunctivitis: unilateral purulent, with burning sensations in the eyes, redness of the eyes and copious flow of tears.
Gastroenteric:
- very rapid temperature increase, up to 40 degrees;
- headache;
- severe chill;
- pain in joints and muscle tissue;
- vomiting and nausea, cramping abdominal pain, loose stools;
- impurities of blood and mucus in the feces.
This form of the disease is also characterized by the fact that the development of infectious-toxic shock is possible.
Nervous:
- high temperature;
- severe headache (increasing), loss of consciousness;
- muscle spasms.
Listeriosis in pregnant women is frightening with this particular form, because it is very typical for newborns, to whom the disease can be transmitted from their mother. Moreover, the fetus can become infected with this disease both during gestation and during childbirth. Infection of the fetus threatens many: this is a spontaneous abortion, and the birth of a dead child, and the birth of a child who will have any malformations.
With all this, congenital listeriosis threatens with a high risk of death and is considered one of the most severe options for the development of an infectious disease. nine0014
At the same time, the clinical manifestations of the congenital disease are not specific. It can be a high fever or a change in the pulse, impaired appetite (the child refuses to feed), vomiting, "cyanosis" of the skin, nodular rash (tubercles), jaundice, meningitis, general lethargy and lethargy.
Septic:
- frequent chills;
- fluctuations in body temperature;
- rash - large elements in the area of the joints, on the face in the form of a butterfly; nine0005
- frequent pneumonia, jaundice and hepatitis.
Listeriosis is insidious, the diagnosis of the septic form is the most difficult, since in this form the disease develops extremely slowly. The septic form can begin with the fact that it will cut in the eyes and tickle in the throat. Also, this form is most common in newborns and people with weakened immune systems.
Chronic
Chronic disease is also possible. In this case, the pathogen can be in the body for a very long time and will not show any clinical symptoms. Only occasionally can listeriosis exacerbate: mild flu-like illnesses or chronic pyelitis in an exacerbated form. nine0014
Diagnosis
Symptoms of listeriosis are very similar to those of many other diseases. It is for this reason that listeriosis is usually diagnosed through laboratory diagnostics. There is a bacteriological method: it is aimed at isolating Listeria from the blood, a smear of the vagina, tonsils is taken.
Polymerase chain reaction or PCR is also performed. It is aimed at detecting sections of the DNA of the causative agent of the disease. Serological diagnostics is carried out to determine the immunoglobulin in human serum. nine0014
Treatment
Listeriosis is a serious disease, therefore, its treatment very often requires hospitalization, although patients with the glandular form of the disease are treated on an outpatient basis.
Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. If there is severe intoxication, as well as dehydration, then during inpatient treatment, the patient is administered saline solutions intravenously. Symptomatic therapy is also carried out, for example, a patient with listeriosis with an ocular-glandular variant of the glandular form needs the treatment of conjunctivitis. nine0014
Under no circumstances should you self-medicate listeriosis. It is imperative to contact the infectious disease doctor so that he clarifies the origin of the disease in this particular case and selects the appropriate therapy for this particular case.
Prevention
If you want to drink milk or eat meat, make sure that these products are subjected to heat treatment without fail. Be sure to follow the rules of hygiene and sanitation if you work in enterprises where animal carcasses are processed, as well as if you work in poultry farms or meat processing plants. nine0014
Careful sanitary control is also required, aimed at products that end up on store shelves.
