The City of Johannesburg has activated Outbreak Response Teams across all regions to help educate the public on how to prevent the spread of listeriosis.
Listeriosis is an infection that usually develops after eating food that’s been contaminated by listeria bacteria.
MMC for Health and Social Development, Dr Mpho Phalatse, said according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa is currently experiencing an increase in the number of listeriosis cases, with 557 cases reported since 1 January. Of the 345 cases reported in Gauteng, 172 were reported by the City of Johannesburg, with 8 per cent of these cases resulting in death.
“Listeriosis is a foodborne illness that is associated with eating a wide variety of food contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, including dairy products and produce, fresh vegetables and fruit, as well as ready-to-eat products,” she said.
“After infection, the incubation period varies and can be between three to 70 days (median three weeks). Up to 10 per cent of people may be asymptomatic carriers. This figure may be higher in abattoir and laboratory workers who work with listeria monocytogene cultures. In the average healthy adult, infection is usually asymptomatic.”
Symptoms are usually mild and may include fever, muscle pain, restlessness and sometimes nausea or diarrhoea. In at-risk patients, the spread of infection to the nervous system can cause meningitis leading to headaches, confusion, a stiff neck, loss of balance or convulsions. The presence of bacteria in the blood, also known as bacteraemia, may also occur.
The disease primarily affects pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems.
Phalatse has called on all residents to educate themselves on the types of foods that are most likely to contain listeria and which preventative measures to take, especially pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with compromised immunity.
Phalatse said it was important for people to always check that the labels from dairy products such as soft cheese, ice cream and yoghurt label say it was made with pasteurized milk, otherwise avoid eating these products.
Director of Public Health in the City of Joburg, Dr Baskie Desai said while listeriosis was a laboratory diagnosis, his unit would work closely with the National Health Department while continuing to educate the community on what steps they should take to avoid getting infected.
“We have activated our environmental health outbreak units to monitor all our food outlets and also assist in educating communities on what steps to take to remain safe. It is important to tell our people to always take precautionary measures and to avoid certain foods that might cause listeriosis if not prepared accordingly.”
The main preventive measure is to always ensure that good basic hygiene is followed.
To stay safe, remember:
- Use only pasteurised dairy products
- Thoroughly cook raw foods from animal sources, such as beef, pork or poultry
- Wash your hands before preparing food, before eating and after going to the toilet
- Wash and decontaminate kitchen surfaces and utensils regularly, particularly after preparing raw meat, poultry and eggs, including industrial kitchens
- Wash raw vegetables and fruit thoroughly before eating.
- Five keys to food safety:
- Keep food clean
- Separate raw and cooked food
- Cook thoroughly
- Keep food at safe temperatures
- Use safe water and raw materials.
- Those at high risk of listeriosis should avoid the following foods:
- Raw or unpasteurised milk, or dairy products that contain unpasteurised milk
- Soft cheeses (eg feta, goat, brie)
- Foods from delicatessen counters (such as prepared salads and cold meats) that have not been heated or reheated adequately
- Refrigerated pâtés.
ALSO READ: What you should know about the listeriosis outbreak
