Not everyone who gets infected withListeriawill have symptoms.
The bacteria can cause some pretty unpleasant gastrointestinal distress like diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever.
Pregnant people are at particularly high risk due to susceptibility listeria infection and consequences of a severe case.
Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell
Frequent Symptoms
Listeriosis can affect different people in different ways.
These flu-like symptoms often last about one to three days.
These can take a little longer to appear (one to four weeks).
Listeriosis (invasive and non-invasive) in healthy individuals is rare.
This throw in of serious consequence occurs nearly exclusively in high-risk individuals or fetuses.
Complications
Some groups are more likely to have serious cases of listeriosis.
Listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirths, and premature birth.
About 20 percent of women diagnosed with listeriosis during pregnancy will experience fetal loss.
About 3 percent of newborns infected with listeria die because of it.
Listeriosis symptoms in older, otherwise healthy kids are rare.
As adults grow older, it gets harder and harder for their bodies to fight off germs.
Thus, older adults are left vulnerable to a wide range of infections, including foodborne illnesses like listeria.
People with Weakened Immune Systems
Age isnt the only thing that can affect the immune system.
Certain medical conditions or medications can also make it easier to get sick with listeria.
These individuals are more likely to get seriously ill or die from a listeria infection.
Ready-to-eat cold meats, raw milk, and soft cheeses are common sources.
If you think youve recently eaten food potentially contaminated with listeria, you should call your practitioner.
Antibiotics can be effective against the infection, particularly for pregnant people to protect their babies.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeria (Listeriosis).
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Committee Opinion: Management of pregnant women with presumptive exposure to Listeria monocytogenes.
