Listeria
Listeria is one of the most dangerous foodborne pathogens in the United States. The illness it causes — called listeriosis — is especially serious for pregnant women, newborns, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems, and it has one of the highest fatality rates of any foodborne infection. Our food safety legal team has handled more Listeria lawsuits than any other law firm in the country.
What is Listeria?
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that, unlike most foodborne pathogens, grows well at refrigerator temperatures. That makes ready-to-eat foods especially risky: a contaminated product can multiply Listeria during storage, then sicken a consumer days or even weeks after purchase. Symptoms can take up to 70 days to appear, which is one reason Listeria outbreaks can spread widely before they are detected. Pritzker Hageman maintains an in-depth overview of the disease at What Is Listeriosis? — including how the infection is diagnosed and treated.
Symptoms of Listeria infection
- Fever and muscle aches
- Severe headache, stiff neck, or confusion (signs of Listeria meningitis)
- Loss of balance or convulsions
- Nausea and diarrhea
- In pregnancy: a flu-like illness that can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or severe illness in the newborn
Pritzker Hageman’s reference page on Listeria symptoms describes the warning signs in more detail.
Long-term complications
Listeria can cause severe, life-changing injuries that persist long after the acute infection resolves. The most serious long-term complications of listeriosis include meningitis, bloodstream infection (sepsis), permanent neurological damage, kidney failure, and pregnancy loss. Survivors and their families often face years of medical care and lost income.
Listeria during pregnancy
Pregnant women are about ten times more likely than the general population to contract listeriosis, and the consequences can be devastating. See Listeria during pregnancy and Listeriosis and miscarriage for in-depth information.
Common sources of Listeria
- Deli meats and hot dogs
- Soft cheeses and unpasteurized dairy
- Smoked or refrigerated seafood
- Pre-cut produce, enoki mushrooms, and cantaloupe
- Ice cream and other ready-to-eat foods
Pritzker Hageman keeps a regularly-updated list of foods that have caused Listeria outbreaks, and tracks the most recent Listeria outbreaks in the United States.
How Listeria cases are proven
Proving a Listeria case requires DNA “fingerprinting” — whole genome sequencing — that links a patient’s infection to a specific food. Our team works with microbiologists, epidemiologists, and treating physicians to build that link and hold the responsible company accountable.