eMedicine Specialties > Infectious Diseases > Bacterial Infections

Listeria Monocytogenes: Follow-up

Author: Karen B Weinstein, MD, FACP, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Loyola University; Assistant Attending, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College; Associate Program Director, West Suburban Medical Center
Coauthor(s): Joanna Ortiz, MD, Infectious Disease Attending Physician, Clinical Instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, West Suburban Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jun 23, 2008

Follow-up

Deterrence/Prevention

  • Cook all raw food thoroughly.
  • Wash raw vegetables.
  • Avoid consumption of raw (unpasteurized) milk or milk products.
  • Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after handling uncooked foods.
  • Pregnant or immunocompromised patients should avoid soft cheeses (eg, feta, Brie, Camembert, bleu). Cream cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese are allowed.
  • Reheat leftover or ready-to-eat foods (eg, hot dogs) until steaming hot.
  • Avoid delicatessen foods unless they are thoroughly reheated.
  • Cook food to a safe internal temperature.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • US regulatory agencies recommend a recall when L monocytogenes is detected in processed foods that are eaten without cooking.
    • The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued new regulations for ready-to-eat meat and poultry processing plants by outlining a program to control and test for L monocytogenes.11
    • Systems have not been perfected; therefore, patient education is most effective in prevention.
 


More on Listeria Monocytogenes

Overview: Listeria Monocytogenes
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Listeria Monocytogenes
Treatment & Medication: Listeria Monocytogenes
Follow-up: Listeria Monocytogenes
References
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Further Reading

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Keywords

Listeria monocytogenes, L monocytogenes, diarrhea, listeriosis, epidemic gastroenteritis, bacteremia, meningitis, CNS infection, meningoencephalitis, endocarditis, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, pneumonia, corticosteroid therapy

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Karen B Weinstein, MD, FACP, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Loyola University; Assistant Attending, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College; Associate Program Director, West Suburban Medical Center
Karen B Weinstein, MD, FACP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, and Illinois State Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Joanna Ortiz, MD, Infectious Disease Attending Physician, Clinical Instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, West Suburban Medical Center
Joanna Ortiz, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, Chicago Medical Society, Illinois State Medical Society, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Mark Raymond Wallace, MD, Infectious Disease Fellowship Director, Orlando Regional Healthcare; Clinical Professor of Medicine, Florida State University
Mark Raymond Wallace, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Medical Association, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Joseph F John Jr, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FSHEA, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Medical University of South Carolina; Associate Chief of Staff for Education, Ralph H Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Disclosure: BioMerieux Honoraria Review panel membership; Cubist Honoraria Review panel membership; Pfizer Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Merck Stock dividends stock holdings

CME Editor

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital
Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians, American Society for Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Burke A Cunha, MD, Professor of Medicine, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook; Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital
Burke A Cunha, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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