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Overview
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Conditions
Bacterial infections
Gram positive bacterial infections
Listeria

Listeria

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A serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.

Dr. Geoffrey Rutledge reviewed this

39 year experience in Internal Medicine

Is a type of:

Bacterial infections

How long it usually lasts:

Chronic (lasts years to lifelong)

How common it is:

Common
Baby
0-2
Rare
Preteen
6-13
Very common
Teenager
14-18
Very common
Young adult
19-40
Very common
Middle-aged adult
41-60
Very common

Body locations

Lower abdomen

Symptoms

Diarrhea
Malaise
Fever
Headache
Balance problems
Load more

Medications

Ratings show how effective doctors think these medications are at treating Listeria
Ampicillin
3.7
7 reviews
Gentamicin
3.6
5 reviews
Trimethoprim
3
3 reviews
Sulfamethoxazole
3
2 reviews

Other treatments

Supportive care

Tests

EEG
Stool culture
D dimer
Blood culture
Pregnancy test
Load more

Risk factors

Personal

Recent travel
Milk in diet
Contaminated food or water
Eating raw meat

Related questions

A 36-year old asked:

What is listeria?

2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

A 34-year old asked:

Is listeria harmful?

1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in

A 39-year old asked:

How serious is listeria?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 37-year old asked:

How long does listeria last?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 21-year old asked:

How doeslisteriaget into food?

2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

A 31-year old asked:

Can uncured hot dogs contain listeria?

2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

A 32-year old asked:

Does listeria give you loss of appeitite?

2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

A 34-year old asked:

What happens if listeria is left undiagnosed?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 33-year old male asked:

What is the definition or description of: Listeria?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 21-year old asked:

I am traveling internationally. How common is listeria in other countries?

2 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

A 21-year old asked:

What should you do if you've eaten a food recalled because oflisteriacontamination?

2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

A 41-year old asked:

Can I get listeria from soft cheeses?

2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

A 25-year old asked:

What scientific name is listeria known by?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 34-year old asked:

What is listeria is it different than salmonella?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 44-year old asked:

When was the last outbreak of listeria in the U.S.?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 39-year old asked:

Can ecoli and listeria survive outside food/refrigeration?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 18-year old female asked:

Can I get tested for listeria at my local health department?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 29-year old female asked:

Does all canned luncheon meat like SPAM harbor listeria? Ate product made with it meant to be cold never warmed. I'm 34w today.

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 16-year old asked:

Do peanuts contain listeria?

2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in

A 23-year old female asked:

Can listeria cause steatorrhea?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 45-year old asked:

How long does listeria diarrhea last for?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 26-year old asked:

Will heating cheese reduce the risk of listeria?

2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in

A 31-year old asked:

Which foods are associated with listeria monocytogenes?

2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

A 38-year old asked:

Can listeria meningitis be contracted from other people?

2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

A 30-year old asked:

Does listeria have an impact on fertility and conception?

2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

A 19-year old male asked:

Who gets listeria bacteria and how is it diagnosed treated?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 48-year old asked:

Which diseases are caused by salmonella, listeria, and e-coli?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 30-year old female asked:

Does steaming veggies kill listeria? Ate a few bites at restaurants that was fresh but cold had been steamed

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 23-year old female asked:

Can listeria develop on spoiled food that wasn't previously infected, or does it have to have already been present before the spoilage occurred?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 30-year old female asked:

Pregnant. Ate meatballs that were well done &cooked fresh, but sat out at room temp 25-30 mins & were cold when I ate. Listeria risk from this?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

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