Listeriosis is a rare infection caused by bacteria called listeria. It usually goes away on its own, but can cause serious problems if you're pregnant or have a weak immune system.
In most people, listeriosis has no symptoms or only causes mild symptoms for a few days, such as:
- a high temperature of 38C or above
- aches and pains
- chills
- feeling sick or vomiting
- diarrhoea
If you have these symptoms, you can usually look after yourself at home.
Listeriosis is usually caught from eating food containing listeria bacteria.
You can get it from lots of types of food, but it's mainly a problem with:
- unpasteurised milk
- dairy products made from unpasteurised milk
- soft cheeses, like camembert and brie
- chilled ready-to-eat foods, like prepacked sandwiches, pâté and deli meats
These foods don't always cause listeriosis. If you've eaten them recently, you don't need to do anything unless you get symptoms of the infection.
You can also catch listeriosis from:
- someone else who has it – for example, if you eat food they've handled when they haven't washed their hands
- close contact with farm animals – especially sheep and cows that are giving birth
There are some simple things you can do to reduce your risk of getting listeriosis:
Do- wash your hands regularly with soap and water
- wash fruit and vegetables before eating them
- store ready-to-eat foods as recommended by the manufacturer
- make sure all hot food is steaming hot all the way through
- eat food after its use-by date, even if it looks and smells normal
If you're pregnant, you should avoid eating foods that have the highest risk of causing listeriosis.
These include:
- some uncooked soft cheeses – including brie and camembert
- all types of pâté – including vegetable pâté
- unpasteurised milk or dairy products
- any undercooked food.