Listeriosis - Symptoms, Causes, Images, and Treatment Options

Diseases

Highlights & Basics

Key Highlights

Listeriosis is a gram-positive bacterial infection that primarily affects neonates, pregnant women, adults ages over 45-50 years, and immunocompromised people.
It is mainly a food-borne disease. Prevention consists of hand hygiene, cooking food well, and avoiding unwashed and leftover food.
Outbreaks have been reported worldwide, with the reported source of contamination including cantaloupe melons, frozen vegetables, and chilled pork.
Bacteremia, sepsis, meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess, endocarditis, and gastroenteritis are the most common clinical manifestations.
Cultures from clinically sterile sites and serologic tests are the keys for laboratory diagnosis.

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Definition

Epidemiology

Etiology

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Citations

Key Articles

Mylonakis E, Hofmann EL, Calderwood SB. Central nervous system infection with Listeria monocytogenes. 33 years' experience at a general hospital and review of 776 episodes from the literature. Medicine (Baltimore). 1998 Sep;77(5):313-36.[Abstract]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Listeria (Listeriosis): information for health professionals and laboratories. Mar 2021 [internet publication]. [Full Text]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Listeria (listeriosis): prevention. Apr 2023 [internet publication].[Full Text]
Pinner RW, Schuchat A, Swaminathan B, et al. Role of foods in sporadic listeriosis. II. Microbiologic and epidemiologic investigation. The Listeria Study Group. JAMA. 1992 Apr 15;267(15):2046-50.[Abstract]

Referenced Articles

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28. Swaminathan B, Hayes PS, Przybyszewski VA, et al. Evaluation of enrichment and plating media for isolating Listeria monocytogenes. J Assoc Off Anal Chem. 1988 May-Jun;71(3):664-8.[Abstract]
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31. Pinner RW, Schuchat A, Swaminathan B, et al. Role of foods in sporadic listeriosis. II. Microbiologic and epidemiologic investigation. The Listeria Study Group. JAMA. 1992 Apr 15;267(15):2046-50.[Abstract]
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