Can Listeria monocytogenes cause meningitis?
Most listeria infections are so mild they can go unnoticed. However, in some cases, a listeria infection can lead to life-threatening complications, including: Generalized blood infection. Inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain (meningitis)
How does listeria cause meningitis?
Listeria is able to manipulate host cell action (actin) to propel it into pseudopods that extend to adjacent host cells. Thus, listeria can spread from cell to cell with minimal contact with the host immune system. Causes bacteremia and meningitis.
How is listeria meningitis diagnosed?
Listeriosis is usually diagnosed when a bacterial culture (a type of laboratory test) grows Listeria monocytogenes from a body tissue or fluid, such as blood, spinal fluid, or the placenta. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics.
Who is most likely to get meningitis from listeria?
The infection is most likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women are 10 times more likely than other people to get a Listeria infection.
Is Listeria bacterial meningitis?
Listeria monocytogenes is the third most frequent cause of bacterial meningitis [2–5]. This gram-positive bacillus is principally spread by contaminated food, which was discovered after outbreaks of listeriosis in the 1980s [1, 6–9]. In the literature, meningitis due to L.
How common is Listeria meningitis?
Symptoms during pregnancy or for newborn infants The incidence of listeriosis during pregnancy is 12 per 100,000, compared with 0.7 per 100,000 in the general population.
Will Listeria show up in bloodwork?
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.
How do you know if you have Listeria?
What are the symptoms of listeriosis? Listeriosis can cause mild, flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches, and diarrhea or upset stomach. You also may have a stiff neck, headache, confusion, or loss of balance. Symptoms may appear as late as 2 months after you have eaten something with Listeria.
What is the treatment for Listeria monocytogenes?
For more serious cases of listeriosis, antibiotics are the most common treatment choice; ampicillin can be used alone or in conjunction with another antibiotic (often gentamicin). If septicemia or meningitis occur, the individual will be given intravenous antibiotics and require up to 6 weeks of care and treatment.
What are symptoms of listeria monocytogenes?
Clinical Features/Signs and Symptoms
- Higher-risk people other than pregnant women: Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
- Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience only fever, and other non-specific symptoms like chills and headache.
How do you test for Listeria monocytogenes?
How is Listeria monocytogenes different from other bacterial meningitis?
There are no clinical features distinguishing Listeria meningitis from other acute bacterial meningitides. The number of leukocytes in the CSF varied from 3 to 3700, most often with a predominance of mononuclear cells. A decrease of the glucose level in the CSF was not always present.
Where does Listeria invade in the human body?
Listeria may invade the brainstem and the cerebral cortex; this does not occur in other forms of bacterial meningitis. There are differences in the relative importance of host factors during the immune response to meningeal versus systemic listeriosis.
Which is the leading cause of meningitis in adults?
The estimated incidence is 4–6 cases per 100,000 adults per year in developed countries and is up to 10 times higher in less developed countries [ 1, 2 ]. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are the leading causes of bacterial meningitis in adults and cause 85% of all cases [ 2, 3 ].