National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Listeria Infections is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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National Institutes of Health
Listeria Infections
Also called: Listeriosis
Listeriosis is a foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes, bacteria found in soil and water. It can be in a variety of raw foods as well as in processed foods and foods made from unpasteurized milk. Listeria is unlike many other germs because it can grow even in the cold temperature of the refrigerator.
Symptoms include fever and chills, headache, upset stomach and vomiting. Anyone can get the illness. But it is most likely to affect pregnant women and unborn babies, older adults, and people with weak immune systems. To reduce your risk
- Use precooked and ready-to-eat foods as soon as you can
- Avoid raw milk and raw milk products
- Heat ready-to-eat foods and leftovers until they are steaming hot
- Wash fresh fruits and vegetables
- Avoid rare meat and seafood
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Start Here
- Keep Listeria Out of Your Kitchen(Food and Drug Administration)
- Listeria (Listeriosis)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Overviews
- Listeria Infection (Listeriosis)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Listeriosis: Definition and Symptoms(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Prevention/Screening
- People at Risk(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Prevention of Listeriosis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Special Handling for Ready-to-Eat, Refrigerated Foods: Reducing the Risks of Foodborne Listeria(Food and Drug Administration)
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Videos
- Enviromysteries: Inside Stories: Frankie's Story(Maryland Public Television, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Listeria Infections(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Listeria Infections
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Evaluation of applied biosystems MicroSEQ real-time PCR system for detection...
- Article: Performance of three culture media commonly used for detecting Listeria...
- Article: Effects of lactic acid on the growth characteristics of Listeria...
- Listeria Infections -- see more articles
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Organizations
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Children
- Listeria Infections(Nemours Foundation)
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Women
- Food Safety for Moms to Be: While You're Pregnant - Listeria(Food and Drug Administration)
- Listeriosis and Pregnancy(Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF
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Patient Handouts
- Listeriosis
- Also available in Spanish
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