In some Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning outbreaks, we tell you that infants contracted this infection. In the current listeriosis outbreak linked to recalled Vulto Creamery raw milk cheese, one of the illnesses was reported in a newborn baby. Since babies do not consume raw cow's milk or eat raw cheeses or unpasteurized juices, the most common vectors for this pathogenic bacteria, how do they get sick? Short answer: their mother was sick. When a woman eats food contaminated with this pathogenic bacteria, she can pass the infection to the fetus. And if the fetus survives, since listeriosis can cause miscarriage and stillbirth, they can be born with this infection. In the Bidart Brothers' caramel apple Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, 35 illnesses occurred in pregnant women. … [Read more...]
Listeria May be Serious Miscarriage Threat in Early Pregnancy
New research conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and published in the journal mBio has found that Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning can be a serious miscarriage threat in early pregnancy. Scientists at the university's school of veterinary medicine studied how pathogens affect fetal development and change pregnancy outcomes. Dr. Ted Golos, a UW-Maidson reproductive physiologist and professor of comparative biosciences and obstetrics and gynecology said, "for many years, Listeria has been associated with adverse outcomes in pregnancy, but particularly at the end of pregnancy. What wasn’t known with much clarity before this study is that it appears it’s a severe risk factor in early pregnancy. It's striking that mom doesn't get particularly ill from Listeria infection, … [Read more...]
Holiday Food Safety for Pregnant Women
FoodSafety.gov is offering food safety tips for pregnant women this holiday season. Pregnant women must always be diligent about food safety, and especially so when attending parties and family gatherings. These women are at higher risk for food poisoning complications, especially listeriosis, the illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. A woman's immune system is weaker when she is pregnant, which makes her at greater risk of contracting a foodborne illness. Toxoplasma gondii and Listeria monocytogenes are two of the major pathogens to be concerned about. Listeria bacteria can cause miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, infection in the newborn, or the death of a newborn. And toxoplasma gondii can cause hearing loss, blindness, and intellectual disabilities in … [Read more...]
EWG Warns of Mercury in Seafood
Environmental Working Group (EWG) has produced a new study called "U.S. Fish Advice May Expose Babies to too Much Mercury." In it, they say that "adhering to the federal government's recommendations on seafood and mercury may be risky, potentially leading women to eat too much of the wrong kind of fish." The guidelines were issued as a draft recommendation in 2014 that recommended that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding eat more fish that is lower in mercury. Their tests found that mothers who eat species of fish in the amounts recommended by the EPA and FDA may risk exposing their fetuses to harmful levels of mercury. And those species do not have enough omega-3 fatty acids that are recommended in the diet. Mercury has toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, … [Read more...]
What Scientists Say about Listeria and Pregnancy
Bidart Bros. Listeria caramel apple outbreak was a grim reminder about the special threat listeriosis poses to expecting mothers and their babies. As analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eleven of the 35 illnesses attributed to the outbreak were pregnancy-related, with one case resulting in a fetal loss. One of the expecting mothers passed the Listeria bacteria to her fetus and the baby was born with an infection that required a month of treatment in the neo-natal intensive care unit of Lovelace Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dr. Vanitha Janakiraman, writing in Obstetrics and Gynecology, provided in-depth information about the relationship between Listeria food poisoning and pregnancy. Infection from the pathogen is rare, but 20 more times common in … [Read more...]
Two Mechanisms for Fetal Infection with Listeria Bacteria
Pregnant women are at high risk for Listeria monocytogenes infections. Almost thirty percent of patients sickened in the current Listeria outbreak linked to caramel apples and plain apples packed by Bidart Brothers are pregnant women. One woman suffered a fetal loss. How are babies infected with this pathogenic bacteria when the mother eats contaminated food? There are two mechanisms for fetal infection, called early onset and late onset. Early onset occurs when a transplancental infection occurs: the bacteria has progressed to the placenta, where it is shielded from the mother's immune system and grows rapidly. A Listeria infection in pregnant women usually only produces mild symptoms including fever, headache, chills, back pain, and diarrhea. Those symptoms mimic the flu, which can … [Read more...]
