Listeria is a foodborne bacteria which can make you sick. Infection with listeria bacteria is called listeriosis.
Listeria is a common bug (bacterium) widely found in dust, soil, water, plants, sewage and animal droppings. Listeria can be spread through eating infected food.
It usually causes few or no symptoms, but can be serious for pregnant women, newborn babies, older people, and people with weakened immune systems.
If a pregnant woman develops an infection caused by listeria (listeriosis), it can cause miscarriage and stillbirth. Newborn babies who develop listeriosis can have difficulty breathing, develop a chest infection, and inflammation of the coverings of the brain (meningitis).
If you think you have eaten food contaminated with listeria or if you have any of the symptoms of listeria infection, contact your doctor or midwife right away.
If you are concerned about listeria, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 or contact your doctor or practice nurse.
Listeria can be spread through eating infected food. The bug has been found in a variety of foods at all stages of preparation, from raw food to well-cooked left-overs. Listeria will still grow on food that is stored in a fridge.
It can also be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or birth.
Symptoms include:
Some people get very sick with listeriosis.
Symptoms appear on average about three weeks after someone has been infected, but it can take as long as two months to become unwell.
If you think you have eaten food contaminated with listeria or if you have any of the symptoms of listeria infection, contact your doctor or midwife right away.
Pregnant women and others at risk should not eat foods most likely to contain listeria, including:
Most people with mild symptoms of listeriosis require no treatment. More serious infections can be treated with antibiotics. During pregnancy, prompt antibiotic treatment may help keep the infection from affecting the baby.
People with listeria are required to stay away from school, early childhood centres or work until two days after their symptoms have gone, and shouldn't have visitors come and see them at home.
Listeriosis is a notifiable disease. This means that health professionals or laboratories will inform us when someone has it. This allows us to monitor the number of people who have the disease and give health professionals advice on how to reduce its spread
There are specific requirements for notifiable diseases in the Auckland region.
Last updated 29.11.2022