Listeriosis Food Poisoning

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KEY POINTS

• Listeriosis is an infection caused by a parasite that usually enters the body through food.
• Mild infections often get better without treatment. For a serious infection you may need to take antibiotics.
• Dehydration caused by diarrhea and vomiting can be very dangerous.
• You need to drink enough liquid to replace the fluids and minerals lost.

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What is listeriosis?

Listeriosis is an infection caused by bacteria called Listeria. Because the bacteria usually enter the body through food, the infection is also called food poisoning.

Often the illness is brief and does not need any treatment. However, the infection sometimes causes severe illness, such as a brain or a blood infection.

Pregnant women are more likely than other healthy adults to have listeriosis. The infection can cause miscarriage, or their newborn may be born with the infection. Newborns can get much sicker than their mothers. The infection is also more likely to affect older adults and people who have weakened immune systems. The immune system is the body's defense against infections.

What is the cause?

The bacteria can live in the animal or human intestine. Bowel movements can spread the bacteria to soil or water. Vegetables or fruit can be contaminated by contact with this soil or water. Contaminated food usually looks and smells normal.

You may get infected if:

• You eat or drink dairy products that have not been pasteurized (heated to kill certain bacteria)
• You eat contaminated food, especially raw or undercooked meat
• You eat food that has been handled by someone who is infected
• You swallow water from a well, lake, stream, or city water that has not been treated to kill germs
• You have contact with an infected animal

In many cases, the source of infection is not known.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms may begin a few days after you've eaten contaminated food, or you may not have symptoms until weeks after you are infected.

Symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Nausea
• Diarrhea

If the infection spreads to the nervous system it can cause meningitis. Meningitis is an infection of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of meningitis may include:

• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Seizures
• Coma

Meningitis can be fatal.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history and examine you. Fluid from parts of your body, such as the blood, spine, or joints, may be tested for bacteria.

How is it treated?

Mild infections often get better without treatment. For a serious infection you may need to take antibiotic medicine for several weeks to make sure all of the bacteria are gone.

When a pregnant woman is infected, taking antibiotics can often keep the baby from getting infected. If a baby does get infected at birth or soon afterward, the baby will usually need antibiotics.

How can I take care of myself?

Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions. Take all of your medicine exactly as prescribed. If you stop taking the medicine too soon, the infection may come back.

Here are some things you can do to feel better:

• Rest your stomach and bowel but make sure that you keep getting fluids. You can do this by not eating anything and by drinking clear liquids only. Clear liquids include water, weak tea, fruit juice mixed half and half with water, Jell-O, or clear soft drinks without caffeine (like lemon-lime soda). Stir soda until the bubbles are gone (the bubbles can make vomiting worse). Avoid liquids that are acidic, like orange juice, or caffeinated, like coffee. If you have diarrhea, don’t drink milk.
• If you have severe diarrhea, your body can lose too much fluid and you can get dehydrated. Dehydration can be very dangerous, especially for children and older adults. You may also be losing minerals that your body needs to keep working normally. Your healthcare provider may recommend an oral rehydration solution, which is a drink that replaces fluids and minerals.
• You may eat soft, plain foods. Good choices are soda crackers, toast, plain noodles, or rice, cooked cereal, applesauce, and bananas. Eat slowly and avoid foods that are hard to digest or may irritate your stomach, such as foods with acid (like tomatoes or oranges), spicy or fatty food, meats, and raw vegetables. You may be able to go back to your normal diet in a few days.
• Rest as much as possible. Sit or lie down with your head propped up. Don’t lie flat for at least 2 hours after eating.
• Don’t take aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) without checking first with your healthcare provider. NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin, may cause stomach bleeding and other problems. These risks increase with age. Read the label and take as directed. Unless recommended by your healthcare provider, you should not take this medicine for more than 10 days.

Ask your healthcare provider:

• How and when you will get your test results
• How long it will take to recover
• If there are activities you should avoid and when you can return to your normal activities
• How to take care of yourself at home
• What symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if you have them

Make sure you know when you should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests.

How can I help prevent listeriosis?

These steps can help prevent food poisoning:

• Wash your hands and clean any dishes or utensils before you prepare, cook, serve, or eat food. Keep kitchen counters and other food preparation surfaces clean. Replace used dishcloths and kitchen towels with clean ones often.
• Cover any sore or cut on your hands before preparing food. Use rubber gloves or cover the sore with a clean bandage.
• Make sure the milk, cheese, and juice products you eat and drink have been pasteurized.
• Rinse fresh vegetables and fruits before you prepare, eat, or cook them.
• Thaw frozen meats in the refrigerator or a microwave. Do not let meat stand at room temperature.
• Cook food thoroughly, especially meat, luncheon meat, hot dogs, and leftovers. Pork should be heated to an internal temperature of at least 160°F (71°C). For whole chickens and turkeys a temperature of 180°F (82°C) is recommended for thigh meat and 170°F (77°C) for breast meat.
• Keep juices from raw meat, poultry, and seafood away from other foods.
• Refrigerate any food you will not be eating right away.
• Wash your hands before eating, after you go to the bathroom, or after touching animals.
• When you travel to places where contamination is more likely, eat only hot, freshly cooked food. Drink only bottled water and liquids. Avoid tap water and ice, or boil water before drinking it. Don't eat raw vegetables or unpeeled fruit.
• If you take care of young children, wash your hands often and dispose of diapers carefully so that bacteria can't spread to other surfaces or people.

In addition, if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system:

• Avoid eating soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined, and Mexican-style cheese unless they are pasteurized. It’s OK to eat hard cheeses, processed cheeses, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt.
• Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.