After consuming food contaminated with this bacteria, symptoms of infection may appear anywhere from 11-70 days later.
A blood test is the most reliable way to find out if your symptoms are due to listeria.
It can be found practically everywhere – in the air, on the ground, in water, in soil and even on people.
This bacteria can pass through the wall of the intestines, and from there they can get into the blood stream.
The organism can spread to the blood stream and central nervous system. People with AIDS are at 300 times more risk of serious illness from listeria than the general population. Patients are often hospitalized for treatment and monitoring. The symptoms of listeria are very hard to identify because they are just like the flu - high temperature, headache, achy feeling, etc. Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause listeriosis.
The risk of listeriosis can be reduced by taking these precautions:
- Carefully wash raw vegetables before eating.
- Completely cook all meats and eggs.
- Follow the instructions on food labels. Observe food expiration dates and storage conditions.
- Keep raw meat away from raw vegetables and prepared foods. After cutting raw meat, wash the cutting board with detergent before using it for vegetables.
A woman can pass the bacteria to her baby during pregnancy. Listeria has been found on raw vegetables, fish, poultry, raw (unpasteurized) milk, fresh meat, processed meat (such as deli meat, hot dogs, and canned meat), and certain soft cheeses. In 1998 several deaths from listeriosis prompted the recall of more than 45-million pounds of hot dogs and processed luncheon meats.