How dangerous is it on American apples?

As a dangerous bacillus, listeria monocytogenes infecting American apples can cause people with meningitis, miscarriage, premature birth .

Listeria monocytogenes infection from apples has caused at least 3 deaths, 32 people have been hospitalized in the United States. According to information from the food agency of this country, the recalled products have been exported to Vietnam and some other countries.

Listeria monocytogenes causes Listeriosis food poisoning . In pregnant women, this disease can cause miscarriage, premature birth, children with severe infections or even death at birth.

Listeriosis mainly affects pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. Healthy adults and children sometimes become infected but rarely get sick. Children can be born if they eat contaminated food during pregnancy.

Some studies show that about 20% of patients with Listeria monocytogenes infection die. Most cases are infected individually but there are also several outbreaks of disease caused by contaminated food sources. The largest outbreak occurred in Los Angeles in 1985 with more than 100 cases, of which 48 died or perinatal death. The epidemic across France in 1992 had 279 cases, of which 63 died.

Pathways to the effects of Listeriosis on the body when eating L. monocytogenes contaminated food.(Photo: Pnas.org)

What causes Listeriosis?

Bacillus L. monocytogenes is found in soil and water. Vegetables can be contaminated with bacteria from soil or fertilizer. From this source, animals can become infected, causing meat and milk to become infected. Pre-processed foods such as soft cheeses are also susceptible to this infection. Unpasteurized milk or unpasteurized dairy products are also a high risk source.

Symptoms of disease

Symptoms of Listeriosis include fever, muscle aches and nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. If the bacteria spread to the nervous system, the patient may have headaches, stiff neck, dizziness, loss of balance, even convulsions. However, pregnant women can only experience mild illness like the flu.

How to diagnose listeriosis?

Listeriosis is diagnosed on the basis of medical history and clinical examination. Your doctor may ask about the symptoms of the sick person, the food they have just eaten and the home or work environment. Blood tests or spinal fluid tests can be performed to confirm the diagnosis.

How to treat the disease?

Healthy, non-pregnant people if this infection sometimes does not need any treatment. Symptoms usually recede within a week.

If you are pregnant and become infected with Listeriosis, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to prevent infection of the fetus. Infants infected with listeriosis may also be given antibiotics as adults, but the doctor will have to consider and show the child when he or she is sure the child has it.

How to prevent Listeriosis?

According to Webmd (USA), you can prevent illness by practicing safe eating habits:

- Safe shopping: Keep fresh meat separate from vegetables and other ready-to-eat foods. Should bring fresh items home immediately after purchase so you can store them properly soon.

- Preparation of safe food: Wash hands before and after preparing food. Also wash your hands after going to the toilet or changing diapers for children. Rinse vegetables and fruits under running water. If possible, two separate cutting boards should be used: one for fresh food, one for raw meat, poultry and seafood. You can also clean knives and cutting boards in dishwashers to disinfect.

- Safe food storage : Cook, preserve refrigerators, freeze meat, poultry, eggs, fish and fresh food within two hours. Make sure the refrigerator is set at 4 degrees C or lower. However, Listeria bacteria can grow in the refrigerator, so clean any stains immediately, especially water from raw meat or poultry strings.

- Safe cooking: Thoroughly cook food derived from animals. If possible, a thermometer designed to determine the temperature ensures that the cooked meat is safe to eat. Heat leftovers from the previous meal at the lowest temperature of 74 degrees C.

- Do not eat unripe meatballs and pay attention to the risk of food poisoning from raw fish (including sushi), mussels and oysters.

- Read labels of packaged foods carefully . Packaged food labels provide information about how safe food is to use and how to store it properly. Reading food labels and following safety guidelines will also help reduce the risk of getting sick from poisoning.

- When there are any concerns, do not use that kind of food. If you're not sure if the food is safe, don't eat it. Re-cooking the food is not making it safer. Don't just smell food to judge. Sometimes, smelling food and looks good but can actually cause disease.

For pregnant women:

- Do not eat hot dogs, canned meat or cold meat unless these items have been reheated until hot evaporation.

- Do not eat soft cheeses, unless the label clearly indicates the product is made of pasteurized milk. Cheeses made of unpasteurized milk can be contaminated with L. monocytogenes.

- Do not eat pate to cold but can use this food if they are in canned form.

- Do not eat smoked seafood unless it is an ingredient in the dish that has been cooked as stew.

- Do not drink unpasteurized milk or eat foods containing unpasteurized milk.

- Avoid eating ready-made salads in stores like ham salad, chicken, eggs, tuna or seafood salad.