Listeriosis overview
Listeriosis is a bacterial infection. Belonging to the group of diseases defined as food poisoning, listeriosis was named the pathogen that causes the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Like most bacteria, Listeria is killed by pasteurization and cooking processes, but the food may also be contaminated after cooking and before the sale.
Listeriosis Symptoms and those at risk
Listeriosis has a very low incidence in humans. The infectious dose of Listeria is quite low: it takes just 100 bacterial cells per gram of food to cause infection. Those at risk who have ingested potentially contaminated food, and to develop symptoms within three months, must therefore undergo the diagnostic tests provided to exclude the presence of Listeria. A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches. The symptoms of listeriosis usually last 7–10 days.
The first symptoms are often similar to those of other diseases resulting from contaminated food include fever, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea. Listeriosis is particularly dangerous for immunocompromised persons, cancer, diabetes, AIDS, the elderly, infants and pregnant women. Pregnant women are, according to data from the CDC Americans, 20 times more susceptible to the disease, which can cause miscarriage or premature birth, death or infection of the fetus in utero. In infants, however, listeriosis can lead to other symptoms, such as loss of appetite, vomiting, skin irritation. Almost everyone who is diagnosed with listeriosis has invasive infection.
Listeriosis Prevention and treatment
The best strategy to fight through an efficient prevention of listeriosis, which can be easily implemented by applying the general standards of hygiene and care provided for all other food poisoning:
1. Complete and proper cooking of foods derived from animals thorough washing of vegetables before consumption can prevent listeriosis.
2. Separation of raw meats from vegetables and from cooked foods and ready for consumption use of pasteurized dairy products. It will help prevent listeriosis.
3. Listeriosis can be avoid if we carefully wash knives, cutting boards and hands after handling raw foods consumption of perishable food in a short time.
4. In particular listeriosis prevent by those most at risk such as pregnant women or immunocompromised persons, should also avoid eating sandwiches containing meat or other food products processed by without them being re-heated to high temperatures .
5. We can avoid listeriosis by being prepared with raw foods and / or from the deli counters of supermarkets.
6. Do not eat soft cheeses unless you are certain that they are produced with pasteurized milk.
7. Not to eat fresh meat pates and canned,it will avoid listeriosis.
8. Do not eat smoked fish, unless it is boxed in forms that do not fade away in the short term. It help avoid listeriosis
From the institutional point of view, listeriosis is part of the group of diseases that have been established in both the U.S. and Europe surveillance networks on food safety with the notifiable. Early antibiotic treatment administered to a pregnant woman can prevent transmission of disease to the fetus.



