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what are the symptoms of listeriosis?

This disease, which can be asymptomatic, can also have serious consequences in the most vulnerable patients.

Health warnings are linked. A recall was launched this Tuesday concerning two types of raw-milk cheeses from a Graindorge cheese factory (Lactalis group) marketed by major retailers after the discovery of a cheese containing the bacteria responsible for listeriosis.

This warning concerns “a few hundred cheeses”. These are Coulommiers and 1 kg Bries from the Normanville brand and the Graindorge brand. These recalled cheeses may contain Listeria monocytogenes (causative agent of listeriosis).

Symptom Scale

According to the website of the Ministry of Solidarity and Healththe multiple symptoms of listeriosis may appear after an incubation period that can range from a few days to a few weeks. They consist of more or less high fever, accompanied by headache and sometimes digestive disorders (nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.).

In the most severe cases, they can tend towards neurological complications (meningitis, encephalitis) which, according to health authorities, “may affect the vital prognosis of the affected person.” It is also stated that patients can be affected asymptomatically, without showing any specific symptoms.

As specified by ANSES, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Safety, 300 annual cases of listeriosis are registered in France. Rarely, this pathology can develop more easily in the elderly, who suffer from cancer, in insulin-dependent or immunocompromised diabetics.

In the case of pregnant women, the complications can also be multiple: abortion, premature birth or even septicemic forms with respiratory distress in the child in the days after birth.

Hygiene and good preservation

As for treatment, the Ministry of Solidarity and Health recalls that “antibiotics are used in the treatment of Listeria infection”, which are effective because they are “administered early”.

For ANSES, there are several practices that must be followed to minimize the risk of contamination. The refrigerator should be set to +4°C or lower for food kept cold and adequate household hygiene should be observed. It is also advisable to keep leftovers in the refrigerator for less than 3 days and to respect the best before dates (DLC) for packaged foods.

In the case of these contaminated cheeses, the recall should end on April 19. The identification number of the recalled batches is 250222LI9 and the health mark or stamp is FR 14.371.001 CE, according to the website rappel.conso.gouv.fr.

The government site recommends returning the products for a refund or destroying them. People who have consumed the products and have a fever isolated or accompanied by headaches and body aches are invited to consult their doctor.

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