Listeria warning for pregnant women

[Posted: Mon 21/07/2008 by Deborah Condon - www.irishhealth.com]

Pregnant women have been warned to be extra vigilant when consuming certain types of foods.

According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and Safefood, pregnant women need to be particularly concerned about listeriosis, a condition caused by the bacterium, listeria, which is found in many types of food.

“Infection in healthy adults usually produces no symptoms, or a mild flu-like illness. However in certain people, including unborn babies, those with weakened immune systems and the elderly, it can cause severe illness or even death. The greatest danger is to unborn babies,” said Dr Thomas Quigley of Safefood.

He explained that listeriosis is most often associated with ready-to-eat, refrigerated and processed foods, such as pre-preapred cooked and chilled meals, soft cheeses, cold cuts of meat, pates and smoked fish.

According to the HPSC, there were nine cases of pregnancy-related listeria in Ireland in 2007. A recent increase in such cases has primarily affected women who have recently entered Ireland from eastern Europe, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. These groups are particularly at risk, the HPSC and Safefood warned.

“Pregnancy is a time when expectant mothers take a lot of care with many aspects of their lives.

“Simple measures such as ensuring that the fridge is in good working order with the temperature between two and five degrees Celsius, eating food that is well within its use-by date so that harmful bugs will not have had time to grow and practising good general food hygiene will reduce the risk of listeriosis,” explained Dr Paul McKeown of the HPSC.

All women who are pregnant, or who are thinking about becoming pregnant, should avoid high risk foods, such as soft cheese, pates and pre-packed salads and coleslaw, until they have given birth.

Safefood has produced a resource, Listeria and Pregnancy, in a number of different languages. It contains information and advice on how pregnant women can protect themselves and their babies. Copies are available by calling Safefood on 1850 40 45 67.

For more information on pregnancy, click on...http://www.mum.ie