You may be asking yourself, what is listeriosis. Listeriosis is a condition caused by Listeria, a bacteria that is found everywhere, in soil, ground water and on plants. Most humans become infected by eating contaminated foods. Pregnant women are at a greater risk, since changes in hormones have taken effect; thus, changing the mother's immune system. Listeriosis can be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta even if the mother is not showing signs of the illness. Symptoms can take a few days or even weeks to appear. Because you may not know that you have listeriosis, it's very
important to take appropriate food safety precautions. In pregnant women, flu-like symptoms with the sudden onset of fever, chills, muscle aches, and sometimes diarrhea or upset stomach may occur. Remember, symptoms vary from person to person and these are just some of the common symptoms. A blood test can be performed to find out if your symptoms are from listeriosis. During pregnancy, antibiotics are given to treat pregnant women with listeriosis. In most cases, the antibiotic also prevents infections of the fetus or newborn. There are precautions that one can take to lessen the chances of listeriosis.
USDA's Food and Safety Inspection Service and the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration provide the following advice for all consumers, especially pregnant women:
1) DO NOT eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats
unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
2) DO NOT eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camem-
bert, blue veined cheeses, and Mexican-style cheeses
such as "queso blanco fresco". Hard cheeses, semi-soft
cheeses such as mozzarella, pasteurized processed
cheese slices and spreads, cream cheese, and cottage
cheese can be safely consumed.
3) DO NOT eat refrigerated pate or meat spreads.
Canned or shelf stable pate and meat spreads can be
eaten.
4) DO NOT eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is
an ingredient in a cooked dish such as a casserole.
Examples of refrigerated smoked seafood include:
salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel
which are most often labeled as "nova-
style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky". This
fish is found in the refrigerated section or sold at deli
counters of grocery stores and deli's. Canned fish
such as salmon and tuna or shelf-stable smoked
seafood may be safely eaten.
5) DO NOT drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat foods
that contain unpasteurized milk.
6) Use all perishable items that are precooked or ready-
to- eat as soon as possible.
7) Clean refrigerators regularly and use a thermometer to
keep the temperature below 40" F.
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