Three people are known to have died and another twelve have fallen ill in a Listeria outbreak in Australia. All of the fatalities have occurred in New South Wales, with cases reported in Victoria and Tasmania. The outbreak has been linked to Rockmelons (Cantaloupes), Cucumis melo, from a farm in Nericon, New South Wales, with all but two of the effected persons known to have consumed Melons before falling ill. Retailers in Australia have removed Rockemelons from sale as a precaution and people are being advised to destroy any saved Melons rather than eating them, particularly if they belong to vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, elderly people or those with compromised immune systems.
Rockmelons (Cantaloupes), Cucumis melo.
Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative
anaerobic Bacterium (Bacterium that does not need oxygen to survive,
but which is not poisoned by it either) that is one of the most common
causes of food-poisoning in Humans, causing an estimated 1600 infections
and 260 fatalities in the US each year. It is a form of Firmicutes,
tough cell-walled Bacteria that produce endospores capable of surviving
desiccation and other extreme conditions, making the Bacteria very hard
to eradicate.
Electron micrograph of a flagellated Listeria monocytogenes Bacterium, Magnified 41 250 times. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Wikipedia.
Listeria monocytogenes is
particularly associated with unpasteurised dairy products (such as raw
milk cheeses), as it is primarily an infection of Ruminant Mammals. It
can cause meningitis-type infections in Humans, and is particularly
dangerous to the very old, very young and those with compromised immune
systems. However it can also thrive in Human gastrointestinal tracts
without harming the host (it is estimated that about 10% of people are
infected) raising the possibility of direst Human-to-Human transmission.
See also...
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