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Listeria Research Paper

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Listeria is a genus of small, facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive motile bacilli which infect many types of animals and contaminates numerous foods, including vegetables, milk, chicken and beef. The most important species of the genus, Listeria monocytogenes, is an important cause of foodborne illness which disproportionately affects pregnant women and their newborns. Due to its high mortality rate, ongoing efforts are needed to further reduce the incidence of listeriosis. Proper storage and handling of refrigerated ready-to-eat foods can help reduce the risk of listeriosis; if the disease develops, assesing its severity is necessary before antimicrobial therapy is instituted. Management of the disease Febrile gastroenteritis due to Listeria …show more content…

Listeria isolates are generally susceptible to the clinically important antibiotics, albeit usually resistant to the …show more content…

High-risk individuals (i.e. pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals) should be given thorough instructions on healthy eating, including specific information on high-risk foods that they should avoid, and strategies to reduce their risk (such as thorough cooking, avoidance of cross-contamination, and short-term refrigerated storage of cooked foods). Science-based education and risk communication strategies aimed at susceptible populations and focused on high-risk foods should be delivered through health care providers or other credible sources of information. If pregnant women are uninformed of possible ramifications of contracting Listeria, the mother and child are at risk for health

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