BE Careful!

Symptoms and Complications of Listeriosis

Not everyone who is infected with listeria will develop listeriosis. But for those who do, symptoms of the disease may appear suddenly, as soon as 1 day after and up to 90 days after eating food contaminated with listeria.

Generally, milder forms of listeriosis will cause symptoms much sooner than more serious forms of the disease. Symptoms of listeriosis include:

* constipation
* cramps
* diarrhea
* headache
* mild flu-like illness (e.g., chills, fatigue, muscle and joint pain)
* nausea
* persistent fever
* vomiting

Rarely, meningoencephalitis (an infection of the brain and the surrounding tissues) or septicemia (where the bacteria is present in the blood) may follow.

Listeriosis can be particularly harmful during pregnancy. A mother who is infected during the first 3 months of pregnancy may miscarry. Acute illness, premature birth, and stillbirth of the newborn are possible if the mother is infected later in pregnancy. Newborns may also have low birth weight, meningitis, and various other complications.

*Thanks, Pam