Listeria, E. coli, norovirus. There are plenty of pathogens and bacteria that can make us sick, but new research is warning that listeria is more dangerous to expectant moms and their babies than what was previously thought.
In the early stages of pregnancy, listeria poses a risk of miscarriage, a new study out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison is warning. It’s calling on pregnant women to avoid many foods from unpasteurized milk and soft cheese, to raw sprouts, melon and deli meats.
Before this research, experts thought that listeria had been tied to miscarriages and stillbirths only at the end of pregnancy. This time around, they’re saying the risk is amplified at the start of pregnancy, too.
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“What wasn’t known with much clarity before this study is that it appears it’s a severe risk factor in early pregnancy,” Ted Golos, a study co-author and obstetrics and gynecology professor, said.
What’s more: listeria infection in pregnancy may go unnoticed. The symptoms that come with getting sick from listeria overlap the nausea and pain women encounter when they’re first pregnant, too.
“It’s striking that mom doesn’t get particularly ill from listeria infection, but it has a profound impact on the fetus. That’s familiar now because we’ve been talking about the same difference in Zika virus,” Golos explained.
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For the study, the researchers worked with a strain of listeria that caused miscarriage, stillbirth and premature labour in at least 11 pregnant women in 2000. The researchers fed doses of listeria – comparable to what people might encounter in contaminated food – to four pregnant rhesus macaques.
After that, they watched the speed and progression of listeria’s spread.
None of the monkeys showed any obvious signs of sickness before their pregnancies ended abruptly. In tissue samples, the researchers found that listeria invaded the placenta.
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The study warns that listeria may be the culprit in some miscarriages that happen without any diagnosed cause. But the bacteria’s stealth and speed may make it hard to identify and control.
Symptoms of listeria include fever, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea, headaches and neck stiffness, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Listeria can grow even in cold temperatures in the refrigerator. Food sources include ready-to-eat deli meats and hot dogs, refrigerated pates and meat spreads, unpasteurized milk and dairy products, soft cheeses and raw sprouts.
Seniors, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system are most at risk at getting very sick from listeria.
carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
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