How long does it take for listeria to make you sick?

Symptoms of intestinal illness usually start within 24 hours after eating food contaminated with Listeria and usually last 1–3 days. Symptoms are usually mild. However, some people with intestinal illness develop invasive illness.

Symptoms might begin a few days after you’ve eaten contaminated food, but It can take 30 days or more before the first signs and symptoms of infection begin. If the listeria infection spreads to your nervous system, signs and symptoms can include: Headache. Stiff neck.

Most healthy people have little to fear from listeria. The bacteria can cause mild flu-like symptoms in healthy adults, but its more serious repercussions — including death and systemic infection — nearly always strike seniors and those with a weakened immune system.

The symptoms can take a few days or even weeks to appear and may include Fever, chills, muscle aches, diarrhea or upset stomach, headache, stiff neck, confusion, and loss of balance. In more serious cases, listeriosis could also lead to the mother’s death.

Invasive listeriosis happens when Listeria have spread beyond the intestines. Symptoms of invasive illness usually start Within 2 weeks After eating food contaminated with Listeria.

A blood test is often the most effective way to determine whether you have a listeria infection. In some cases, samples of urine or spinal fluid will be tested as well.

You should Seek medical care and tell the doctor about eating possibly contaminated food If you have a fever and other symptoms of possible listeriosis, such as fatigue and muscle aches, within two months after eating possibly contaminated food.

Foodborne listeriosis is one of the most serious and severe foodborne diseases. It is caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. It is a relatively rare disease with 0.1 to 10 cases per 1 million people per year Depending on the countries and regions of the world.

In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that About 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die. The hospitalization rate is 94%, meaning that of the approximately 1,600 people who get the disease each year, about 1,500 will be hospitalized.

Mild symptoms may include a fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If the more severe form of listeriosis develops, symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

Epidemiologic and Traceback Data

As of September 28, 2022, six people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from six states (see map). Sick people’s samples were collected from August 6, 2017, to August 5, 2022 (see timeline).

For more at-risk groups, if it’s detected and treated early, antibiotics can resolve the infection within a week or two. If left untreated among high-risk populations, it can get much worse and, in rare cases, lead to serious health conditions such as miscarriages or stillbirths during pregnancy, or even death.