Listeriosis claims B.C. woman

[B00Mer]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/09/08/bc-listeriosis-death.html?ref=rss

Listeriosis claims B.C. woman

An Okanagan woman died late last week of listeriosis, the regional health authority reported Monday.

Testing will be carried out this week at the BC Centre for Disease Control's provincial laboratory to determine whether the listeria strain involved is the one associated with the Canada-wide recall of certain Maple Leaf Food products, Interior Health said in a news release.

The senior, who died at Kelowna General Hospital, had an underlying chronic health condition that was being treated with oral steroid medication, which can increase the risk of this type of infection, the authority said.

The woman had been in the community and was not a resident or in-patient at any Interior Health facility, but had a history of consuming deli-meats while travelling this summer, the health authority said.

 

[quandary121]

Listeria bacteria can be transmitted through soil and water. A person can also ingest listeria by eating certain foods, such as deli meats and cold cuts, soft-ripened cheese, milk, undercooked chicken, uncooked hot dogs, shellfish, and coleslaw made from contaminated cabbage. Many cases of infection, however, have no identifiable source.
Listeria infections may create symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, difficulty breathing, and poor feeding. Pregnant women who develop listeriosis may experience only mild flu-like symptoms, although they are at risk for premature delivery, miscarriage, and stillbirth.
People who have weakened immune systems are at particular risk for developing other more serious illnesses from listeriosis, including pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis.
Cases of listeriosis are relatively rare. In 2004, just 120 cases were reported in the United States. In all cases, the earlier listeriosis is detected and treated, the better. And particularly if you are pregnant or in one of the other high-risk groups, avoiding certain foods and beverages can reduce your risk of contracting this infection.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/listeria.html

Preventing Listeriosis

Although there are no vaccines against the bacteria that cause listeriosis, you can help reduce the risk for your family by taking these food safety precautions:

• Always cook food (especially meat and eggs) thoroughly to the proper internal temperature.
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.
• Only drink pasteurized milk, and make sure that milk is refrigerated at the appropriate temperature, which is less than 40° Fahrenheit (4° Celcius).
• Avoid foods made from unpasteurized milk.
• If you're in a high-risk group, avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined and Mexican-style cheeses unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pasteurized milk.
• Reheat precooked, prepackaged foods — such as deli meats or hot dogs — to steaming hot temperatures, especially if you're pregnant.

After reading the above i can only assume that a history of consuming deli-meats while travelling was the cause.8O

 

[Scott Free]

In another 40 years I'll worry about it. Until then give me a club sandwich with the works.

This hysterical nonsense is really getting stupid. What is the hope here? That nothing ever should kill people who are sick or old - anyone ever hear of reality?