What is listeriosis, and how does it affect pregnant women?

Better known as listeria infection, it is the bacterial disease derived from the consumption of raw food, although it is not common in healthy people, people with deficiencies in their immune system and pregnant women represent the population at risk, making its prevention imperative for carrying very serious consequences for pregnancy.

Defining listeriosis, types and forms of contagion

It is the bacterium listeria monocytogenes that is responsible for transmitting what is called listeriosis, which commonly lives in nature in carrier animals and contaminating fruits, vegetables, and vegetables, hence the need to avoid eating raw, uncooked food, especially During pregnancy.

Types of listeriosis

Despite being rare, listeriosis represents one of the most serious foodborne diseases in the world, in addition to having a high mortality rate.

The incubation period of the bacteria is usually between one and two weeks, however, there have been cases in which it extends up to three months, complicating its timely detection. There are two types of infection:

— Invasive listeriosis: corresponds to the most dangerous type of infection characterized by symptoms that include muscle pain, acute fever, septicemia and meningitis. Its mortality rate reaches up to 30%.

— Non-invasive listeriosis: although less dangerous, it is a mild form of infection that causes febrile gastroenteritis, in healthy people, it is not serious, otherwise in people with a deficit in their immune systems and pregnant women.

Where can the bacteria that causes listeriosis be found?

Raw meat and fish, unpasteurized dairy products, smoked fish, raw fruits and vegetables, as well as processed foods, represent the main sources of the listeriosis-transmitting bacteria monocytogenes, making their cooking fundamental, in addition to the sole consumption of pasteurized dairy.

In the same way, it is convenient to exclude the consumption of ready foods, such as cold cuts, cold meats and sausages, because despite the fact that they are precooked products, they can be contaminated before being packaged or consumed, giving rise to the development of the infection.

Listeriosis and pregnancy

The reason why so much emphasis is placed on the prevention of listeriosis during pregnancy is that the bacteria is capable of infecting the fetus, becoming a very dangerous enemy for it, without removing the potential risk of spontaneous abortion or premature birth.

It is estimated that in 22% of cases of perinatal listeriosis the newborn dies.

In addition to the aforementioned symptoms, listeria infection in pregnant women includes nausea, vomiting and headache, which usually appear a few days after consuming the contaminated product.

In what period of gestation is it more common to contract listeriosis?

Although there is the possibility of contracting the infection at any stage of pregnancy, it is in the last trimester where the chances increase, the explanation for this has to do with the fact that the immune system of the future mother is usually slightly compromised.

How to treat listeriosis during pregnancy?

After diagnosis through a blood test, listeria infection demands immediate attention with antibiotics recommended by the doctor, this will be the only way to prevent the fetus from becoming infected.

In this sense, more than paying attention to treatment, it is necessary to abide by basic measures to prevent infection, firstly, to avoid incurring cross-contamination between foods when cooking. What does this mean? Separate the raw from the cooked. Also, it is suggested:

— Sanitize hands and utensils before cooking, in the same way, the kitchen, the refrigerator and the products that will be used must be clean.

— Cook food at a minimum of more than 70ºC, although there are some that require more heat, for example, minced meat.

— Respect expiration dates and maintain safe food temperatures, assuming they need to be frozen, avoid leaving them out of the refrigerator for a long time, while already cooked foods should not remain at room temperature for more than two hours.

— Avoid the consumption of uncooked and smoked foods, in the case of dairy, bet only on pasteurized.

— Heat processed meats and cold meats prior to consumption.