What is Listeria (Listeriosis)?
Listeria

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes(Lm). Lm is ubiquitous, and thrives in environments that could be perceived as clean, i.e. cold, wet spaces.

What can consumers do to protect themselves from Lm?

The FDA and CDC recommend consumers take the following actions to prevent an infection from Listeria:

  • Follow FDA directions for safe washing and handling food. Find consumer resources on safe food handling at The Partnership for Food Safety Education.
  • Keep your kitchen and environment cleaner and safer.
  • Cook meat and poultry thoroughly.
  • Store foods safely.
  • Choose safer foods (i.e.: avoiding unpastuerized products). 
Who is most at risk for Listeria?

The CDC outlines the following groups that are at increased risk:

  • Pregnant women:Pregnant women are about 10 times more likely than the general population to get listeriosis. About one in seven (14%) cases of listeriosis occurs during pregnancy.
  • Newborn babies:Newborn babies suffer the most serious effects of infection in pregnancy.
  • People with weakened immune systems:  Individuals within this group also have a higher risk for Listeria infection due to underlying medical conditions such as cancer and  immunosuppresive therapy (i.e., steroids, chemotherapy, radiation),  liver or kidney disease, diabetes, alcoholism, and HIV/AIDS.
  • Older Adults: Adults 65 years and older are about 4 times more likely than the general population to get Listeria infection.
Healthy children and adults occasionally get infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.
FMI Resources
Risk Assessments

Interagency Risk Assessment: Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens  Technical Report | Interpretive Summary, September 2013

Quantitative Assessment of Relative Risk to Public Health From Foodborne Listeria monocytogenes Among Selected Categories of Ready-to-Eat Foods  Full Assessment | Interpretive Summary, September 2003 

Relative Risk to Public Health From Foodborne Listeria monocytogenes Among Selected Categories of Ready-to-Eat Foods  
Full Assessment | Interpretive Summary, September 2003 

Other Government Resources

Photo Reference: CDC