Listeriosis and Pregnancy

Pregnant women are usually very careful about what they eat and how it will affect their unborn child. One thing they need to be concerned about is food poisoning. Especially Listeria. The CDC estimates that 2,500 people become ill every year from this bacterium. One in five die from it. This can be especially hard for pregnant women. It can cause premature delivery, miscarriage, fetal death, and severe illness or death of a newborn from the infection.

People become sick with Listeriosis by eating contaminated foods. They develop flu-like symptoms, within few days—all the way up to a few weeks after eating a contaminated food item. If a blood test comes back positive for Listeriosis, antibiotics are usually given.

The USDA recommends the following safety measures be taken if you are pregnant:

• Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats unless they are reheated until steaming (165 degrees).
• Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, and Mexican-style cheeses such as “queso blanco fresco.”
• Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads. Canned are alright to eat.
• Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is reheated to 165 degrees.
• Do not drink raw or unpasteurized milk, or foods that contain unpasteurized milk. Some deli cheeses contain this ingredient.
• Clean your refrigerator regularly, and use a thermometer to make sure that it stays at 40 degrees or below.

Information taken from the CDC and the IFIC.

- return to top -