Recently, 71-year-old Grandpa Luo had an inexplicable fever and headache, thinking it was a seasonal cold, but more than ten days have passed, but the symptoms have not been alleviated at all...... This worries the family. When he came to the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu for inpatient treatment, Liu Yongfang, the director of the department, found clues during his ward rounds: Grandpa Luo's neck was stiff and the tension of his lower limbs increased. Such symptoms mean that the elderly may have an intracranial infection.
After receiving a lumbar puncture to extract cerebrospinal fluid to complete the relevant examinations, the truth surfaced: the reason for Grandpa Luo's persistent fever and headache was that he had "Listeria monocytogenes meningitis" (hereinafter referred to as: Listeria monocytogenes). After anti-infection and other treatments, Grandpa Luo finally said goodbye to "headache and fever".
What is Listeria monocytogenes? It is understood that Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogenic bacteria, defined by the World Health Organization as one of the world's four major foodborne pathogens, as a gram-positive non-bacillus, facultative anaerobic bacteria, can produce hemolytic exotoxin, very pathogenic. "This bacterium is very widely distributed in nature and is ubiquitous in the environment, in soil, surface water, sewage, wastewater, plants, green fodder, and rotten vegetables. Once infected with listeria monocytogenes, symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, nausea, and diarrhea can occur in the worst cases, as well as headaches, neck stiffness, imbalance, and cramps. Infected pregnant women may have preterm births, miscarriages, and stillbirths, and their baby's health may also be affected. Liu Yongfang, chief physician of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, said that the distinctive feature of Listeria monocytogenes is that it is "not afraid of cold" and can survive at 2 °C ~ 42 °C. It is present in most foods, especially foods with high bacterial loads, including milk and dairy products, meat (especially beef), seafood, etc. Coupled with the characteristics of cold resistance, salt resistance, acid resistance, and alkali resistance, it can survive for a long time in the refrigerator cold room and has strong adaptability to the environment.
"Now that the weather is getting hotter and hotter, the combination of 'overnight dishes + refrigerator' is a headache for doctors in the infectious disease department." Dr Lau Wing Fong said that Listeria monocytogenes is widely distributed, and overnight dishes are more susceptible to contamination by bacteria and microorganisms, especially in a warm environment, which will accelerate the reproduction of bacteria and microorganisms in food, which can easily cause food poisoning and other problems. Therefore, don't think that putting leftovers in the refrigerator is "stable", and it is still easy to "suffer" when you encounter listeria monocytogenes that are "not afraid of cold".
So how can you prevent listeria infection? "Although it is not afraid of cold, it is afraid of 'heat', and pasteurization, cooking and cooking can easily eliminate it." Dr. Liu Yongfang suggested that we should develop good living habits, pay attention to food safety, and clean the refrigerator regularly.
Specific to life, it is necessary to avoid the mixing of cutting boards and knives used in raw and cooked food; Avoid eating raw and cold food, especially pregnant women, and control their mouths; Cook meat, eggs and seafood thoroughly when cooking; Avoid unpasteurized milk, cheese and dairy products. When choosing refrigerated ready-to-eat food with a longer shelf life, check whether the date and packaging are in good condition; It is best to eat the food on the same day, and when eating overnight dishes, choose a clean and hygienic container, and seal the food well to reduce the probability of bacterial invasion; Overnight dishes should be thoroughly heated, especially meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood; Listeria monocytogenes loves to "take root" in the refrigerator, so to separate raw and cooked foods and keep the refrigerator clean, the refrigerator should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a month.
Photo courtesy of the Third Municipal Hospital