Listeria Meningitis

Listeria meningitis is a serious disease that affects pregnant women, children and adults whose immune systems have been compromised. Pregnant women with the bacteria may experience a premature birth abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth. If a pregnant woman carries the bacteria in the vagina, the baby will become infected during the birth process. Listeria meningitis be acute or cause severe brain damage and other permanent disabilities. This can cause damage to the brain stem, cerebral edema and spinal cord injuries, and has a mortality rate of about 70%.

Causes

Listeria meningitis caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is found in soil, plants, food, and water flow. If the soil, plants and animals may be infected. Can be found in raw meat and vegetables, and unpasteurized milk and foods made from unpasteurized milk. Pasteurization and cooking great food will kill the bacteria, but people can still find food contaminated before the packaging process. This bacterium Listeria often manifested as meningitis.

Symptoms

The most common symptom Listeria meningitis stiff neck, high fever and headache. You may also experience nausea, vomiting or drowsiness. In children, symptoms may be difficult to find. You can only see the baby sleep, irritable, or not eating well. When symptoms begin, develop rapidly in adults and children, anywhere from several hours to 1-2 days. However, it may take up to two months after eating contaminated food before we see any symptoms at all.

Prevention

Do not do to avoid Listeria meningitis if you eat foods that are processed or packaged from the store or restaurant. However, if you cook your own meals, there are things you can do to minimize the risk of listeria bacteria. Be sure to wash raw vegetables, cook meat and always drinking and cooking with pasteurized milk. Thus, it is more likely that each bacterium Listeria in food are broken down.

Treatment

Early diagnosis is important. If you see any of the above symptoms, it is important to consult your doctor immediately. Your doctor will likely order a lumbar puncture, fluid from bacteria growing in a test of Listeria meningitis. It can be treated with common antibiotics such as ampicillin or azithromycin, but must begin immediately to be effective. Read more article Listeria Outbreak