000246 France Reports Listeria Deaths

Paris - Seven people, including two newborn infants, have died from listeria poisoning since the end of November, France's agriculture minister said.

A total of 23 cases of listeriosis have been detected around France, and authorities believe a single food source is responsible, though they haven't yet pinpointed the source, Agriculture Minister Jean Glavany said.

On Jan. 7, officials reported two deaths and four other poisonings by Listeria, a potent bacteria found most often in cheese and meat products.

“It's an epidemic,” Glavany told reporters, and said specialists were searching for the source at stores frequented by those contaminated.

“We hope to have results by the middle of the week,” he said.

Listeria poisoning causes fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea and diarrhea. Healthy people typically recover quickly, but listeria can cause serious, even fatal infections in children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems.

The bacteria is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, because it can cause miscarriages and stillbirths even if the mother experienced no symptoms. Listeriosis can take up to eight weeks to incubate.

Glavany advised caution for consumers most at risk of falling ill from listeriosis, saying they should avoid products like cheese, pate and rillette, the coarsely chopped pate in which fat is added and the bacteria can flourish.

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