Listeria- Dangerous bacteria
Listeriosis
Listeriosis is an infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium listeria monocyrogenes. Unlike other bacterial infections that are known to target specific parts of the body, listeria monocyrogene affects different parts including the brain or the spinal cord membranes or bloodstream; just anywhere.
Who is at risk of getting listeriosis?
Studies have shown that just about everyone is at risk of getting the disease, however, pregnant women especially those in their third trimester, newborns, the aged and adults whose immune systems might have been compromised by other diseases like cancer, HIV among others are at greater risk.
It is essential to note that if you are infected during pregnancy, you are at higher risk of delivering prematurely, infecting your newborn baby or, worse still, losing the baby.
How does one get the bacteria?
Listeria bacteria are distributed everywhere around us. You can ingest the bacteria through taking contaminated meat, vegetables, unpasteurised milk, under-cooked chicken and hotdogs, certain fish among others. The baby can get the infection especially at the time of birth.
What are signs of listeriosis?
The symptoms vary depending on where the infection has occurred. However, the most common symptoms may include:
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Breathing difficulty
- Stiff neck
- Loss of appetite.
In cases where the infection spreads to the nervous system, it can result to meningitis. And if you are pregnant, you will most likely experience flu-like symptoms that may threaten your pregnancy or even cause foetal death. The symptoms may appear within a month but in some isolated cases, you could notice the signs after 70 days.
Can listeriosis be treated?
If your doctor suspects that you could be suffering from listeriosis, he will perform specific laboratory test to ascertain that. He will then administer specific antibiotics known to fight off these organisms either in single dozes or as a combination therapy.
These antibiotics will often prevent infection of the foetus. On the other hand, if your baby has listeriosis, he will also be treated with antibiotics. However, chances of survival remain slim. The same is true for elderly people and persons with other serious medical problems.
How to keep it away?
- Promote safe handling, cooking and consumption of food.
- Ensure you wash your hands thoroughly with water and soap before preparing food.
- Thoroughly wash raw vegetables and fruits before eating.
- Cook meat, chicken among other foods thoroughly and at proper temperature intervals.
- Reheat left overs or ready to eat foods like hot dogs until steaming hot.
- Check labels for cheese and other dairy products to ensure they are made from pasteurized milk. Also make sure you properly boil milk before consuming it.
- Consult your doctor if you have similar symptoms especially when pregnant so as to safeguard yourself from an abortion or early delivery.
- Wash and disinfect knives and cutting boards after handling uncooked foods.
- Consume perishable and ready to eat foods as soon as possible.
END: PG 34 /42