Why so many listeria recalls lately? A doctor explains what to know.

From deli meat to frozen waffles, listeria recalls look to beryllium making headlines much often — but why?

There are a fewer reasons we whitethorn beryllium seeing an uptick successful these contaminations, including a much analyzable nutrient proviso chain, explains Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News aesculapian contributor and editor-at-large for nationalist wellness astatine KFF Health News.

"Every measurement of nutrient processing, there's nan opportunity for contamination. That's number one. Consumers want ready-to-eat food, truthful of course, they're much processed arsenic a result," she said connected "CBS Mornings."

In addition, "We person amended tests. So it utilized to beryllium we mightiness not person been alert aliases known what made you sick. Now we tin really test, observe and show you what made you sick."

While these recalls are seemingly much common, they're not thing to ignore. Listeria tin lead to superior unwellness and tin moreover beryllium fatal.

"You tin create a rather terrible disease, including meningitis, which is erstwhile it's successful your spinal cord, aliases sepsis, wherever nan listeria gets into your bloodstream and tin origin harm to your organs," Gounder said. 

So if you person a merchandise on a callback list, nan champion point to do is propulsion it away. 

"This is not worthy nan risk. This could beryllium deadly. So really conscionable dispose of thing that is connected that callback list," she said. 

Listeria symptoms

Listeria infections are caused by eating nutrient contaminated pinch nan germs called Listeria monocytogenes. Symptoms to look retired for see headaches, fevers, changes successful your intelligence status, trouble stepping and moreover seizures. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that group whitethorn besides acquisition a stiff cervix and flu-like symptoms, specified arsenic musculus aches and fatigue.

Some group are besides astatine higher consequence of terrible cases, including those who are pregnant, newborns, adults 65 aliases older, and those pinch weakened immune systems. 

"Some of nan foods that we see precocious consequence — and why we show pregnant women, for example, not to eat them — are deli meats and soft cheeses," Gounder said. "Those foods are very precocious consequence for contamination."

Does power aliases cooking termination listeria?

Thoroughly cooking aliases reheating nutrient tin termination listeria, but Gounder notes, "You request to beryllium cooking things astatine a precocious capable temperature."

The CDC recommends reheating deli meat, acold cuts, basking dogs and fermented aliases barren sausages to 165°F aliases until steaming hot. The aforesaid goes for pasteurized soft cheeses and deli-sliced cheeses — power to an soul somesthesia of 165°F earlier eating.

"Freezing does not termination germs for illustration listeria. It's a very hardy bacteria," Gounder said. Refrigeration besides does not termination listeria.

How does listeria spread?

The astir communal measurement listeria spreads is done food, Gounder explains, but it tin besides dispersed done cross-contamination.

"It could beryllium from different foods, it could beryllium instrumentality aliases surfaces that were contaminated. We find listeria successful nan ungraded and water. So a batch of different ways it could get into a stiff waffle (for example)," she said.

If you had a recalled merchandise successful your fridge aliases freezer aliases elsewhere successful your kitchen, it's important to disinfect those surfaces to forestall further contamination. 

Treatment for listeria

Treatment depends connected nan severity of nan illness. It whitethorn see antibiotics aliases fluids to forestall dehydration. Seek aesculapian attraction if you fishy you're infected. 

In:
• Food & Drink
• Listeria