An article in the August 31,2008 issue of the Toronto Sun by the Canadian Press titled Listeria Death Toll at 10: Outbreakblamed on Alberta Case describes the impact of the latest major development in the nation wide recall of Maple Leaf food products due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes . Nineteen more deaths are under investigation at this time.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the official case count is at 38 with 21 additional cases suspected as possibly being linked to the Listeria outbreak In 2008, the United States has also experienced 21 different food recallsdue to the Listeria organism and food contamination to date.
The symptoms of Listeria food poisoning include:
· Vomiting;
· Nausea;
· Cramps;
· Diarrhea;
· Severe Headache;
· Constipation; or
· Persistent fever
More serious complications of the illness can include meningitis, sepsis (infection of the blood), and death. Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to get Listeria food poisoning and may face fetal complications such as miscarrage in the first trimester, or, if the pregnancy is further along, a stillborn child or the birth of an acultely ill infant.
Elderly persons and people with immune system weakness are also more at risk for contracting the illness than are healthy individuals. Persons with immune system weakness can include transplant patients, chemotherapy patients, patients taking prednisone or steroid therapy, diabetics, alcoholics, cirrhosis patients, and persons with HIV. Persons who are HIV positive are 300 times more likely to get the illness than persons with normal immune systems.
Listeria is more likely to cause death than other types of food poisoning. Twenty to thirty percent of Listeria food poisoning cases in high risk individuals can be fatal. The symptoms usually begin about one day after eating highly contaminated foods for the mild forms of the illness up to 70 days later for the more serious form of the disease. Seek medical care promptly if you have symptoms that you are concerned could be due to food poisoning.
Listeria is commonly found in soil, water, sewage, silage, vegetation, and the intestinal tract of both humans and animals. Healthy persons and animals can carry the disease without any symptoms being present. Listeria is able to survive and grow on products while being stored in the refrigerator. The food can taste, look, and smell perfectly normal.
Treatment of the illness consists of the use of antibiotics and other methods to support the patient and treat the symptomssuch as IV fluids if necessary. At the present time there is no vaccine for the prevention of the illness.
Pregnant women should avoid all processed meats and unpasteurized cheeses or soft cheeses such as brie, feta, camembert, and queso as well as sprouts and all raw or undercooked meats and seafood. Meats that are thoroughly heated to steaming hot temperature are considered safe. Avoid consuming the fluid from food items such as hot dogs or allowing the fluid to contaminate other foods as it may contain more bacteria than the food itself. All hot dogs and deli type luncheon meats,as well as other processed foods should be heated until steaming through to the center.
Hands should be washed after handling all hot dogs or deli meats. Refrigerated smoked fish such as salmon has also been found to be capable of harboring Listeria, so either consume these items in canned form or heat them thoroughly. Wash all produce thoroughly before use. Make sure that your refrigerator temperature is kept under 40 degrees F or 4 degrees C. Do not store meat on upper shelves where the juices may drip onto foods on lower shelves, and keep the refrigerator clean. Three cups of water to which 1 teaspoon of household bleach has been added can be used to cleancutting boards, countertops, and utensils. Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw or deli meats and before any food preperation.
Please note: The information in this article is not to be followed as
medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with your physician
or primary health practitioner for information regarding your own personal
health and necessary treatments.
