Listeriosis

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What is it about ?

Listeriosis is an infection caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is present in the normal intestinal flora in 5% of humans and animals. The intestinal flora is the collection of microbes normally present in everyone in the intestine, without causing disease. Listeria also lives in soil and in certain foods such as unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses made from raw milk, and dried or cold smoked fish. It is therefore preferable to avoid these products also in pregnant women, people with weakened resistance and the elderly suffering from multiple illnesses. The bacteria can reach the baby through the placenta. It survives and thrives at refrigerator temperature (beware of expired products!). Freezing does not kill the bacteria. It is very rarely transmitted from person to person. It is therefore not considered a contagious disease.

Where and how often?

Each year, an average of 65 cases of listeriosis is observed in Belgium. These may be isolated cases or very small-scale epidemics. Half of the victims are over 65; 1 in 5 people die from it.

How to recognize it?

The interval between contamination and the appearance of the first symptoms (the incubation period) is 1 to 91 days. The infection usually causes few or no symptoms in people with normal resistance. But if there are symptoms, it’s usually a high fever (39 ° C to 40 ° C), accompanied by flu-like symptoms (flu-like symptoms) such as headache. head, muscle pain, general malaise and gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhea.

Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to be infected than other adults. The baby is also at risk, as infection can lead to premature birth or even miscarriage. In newborns, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream (sepsis) and cause meningitis. Fever, headache and stiff neck are typical symptoms of meningitis; with meningitis, patients are no longer able to flex the chin over the chest.

How is the diagnosis made?

Your doctor suspects the disease based on the signs he sees. The diagnosis is confirmed on the basis of a culture of the bacteria from a blood test and a puncture of the fluid present in the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid). The bacteria can sometimes also be detected in suspicious foods.

What can you do ?

Anyone can get listeriosis, but pregnant women, people with reduced resistance (cancer, HIV, using drugs that reduce resistance) and the elderly with multiple illnesses are particularly susceptible.

It is therefore useful to take several precautions:

  • Store food in the refrigerator preferably at + 4 ° C.
  • Observe the expiration date of the products.
  • Let leftover food cool quickly in the refrigerator (and therefore not at room temperature); don’t keep them too long and reheat them no matter what.
  • Clean the refrigerator regularly.
  • Wash your hands regularly when cooking.
  • Thoroughly clean the surface you are working on with raw products.
  • Avoid damp dish towels and change them regularly.
  • Always wash raw vegetables and fruit well and peel them. Poultry and minced meat are preferably cooked for at least 10 minutes at a temperature above 65 ° C. The bacteria do not withstand the heat of boiling or cooking.
  • Preferably, cover food products so that flies and insects cannot come and land on them.

Avoid products that may contain the germs of Listeria :

  • Raw milk and products made from raw milk such as certain cheeses, cheese rinds and farm butter.
  • Certain seafood such as shellfish and cold smoked fish.
  • Certain cold meats such as pâtés, rillettes, jelly products; prefer prepackaged food products.
  • Raw American fillet, meat and fish salads and cold poultry preparations.
  • Sprouts of raw vegetables like bean sprouts.

What can your doctor do?

The treatment combines two antibiotics, one by injection. It is usually done in the hospital, except in cases of mild infection. Depending on the severity of the infection, treatment lasts 2-3 weeks.

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