Looking for information about Listeria Symptoms?

News Flash: Listeria Monocytogenes Have Been Found In Potato Products

Some potato products manufactured by Northern Star Co., a subsidiary of food processor Michael Foods Inc have been recalled due to concerns of being contaminated with monocytogenes. Giant Food and Stop & Shop have recalled and pulled from the shelves the following: 20 oz. bags of Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns, Simply Potatoes Homestyle Slices and Simply Potatoes Red Potato Wedges.

What is listeria monocytogenes? It is a bacteria that can cause flu-like symptoms. When infected, a person has listeria symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. This bacteria can be very dangerous for pregnant women or those with weakened immune systems. Customers who have purchased these products should discard any unused portions and bring the receipts to their stores for a full refund.

Listeria is one of the most dangerous food borne pathogens. It multiplies at low temperatures and survives refrigeration. After consuming food contaminated with this bacteria known as listeria, symptoms of infection may appear anywhere from 11-70 days later. This bacteria can also be found and spread through soil.

Complications of Listeria infection include: meningitis, sepsis, miscarriage or stillbirth with listeria and pregnancy, pneumonia, shock, endocarditis, abscess formation, and eye inflammation.

Listeria bacteria can cause serious complications during pregnancy. In fact, listeriosis symptoms often causes miscarriage or stillbirth.

Symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes

High risk persons like the very young, very old, organ transplant recipients and people with a deficient immune system should: avoid soft cheeses, such as Mexican cheese, feta, Brie, Camembert, and blue cheese.

Although listeria is very rare, several deaths from listeriosis prompted the recall of more than 45-million pounds of hot dogs and processed luncheon meats.

The most recent Listeria outbreak that resulted in a recall was for Turkey products. Read more here: http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GFRC_en__215__215&q=listeria%20recall&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wn

A biological process that uses bacteriophages to fight listeriose has been approved for use by by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Bacteriophages are viruses that target bacteria, rather than human, plant or animal cells. For every listeria monocytogenes bacteria, there is a phage that will attach to it, kill it and multiply. Read more about listeria here.