What is listeria? Symptoms of illness after death from ready meal and major recall

Listeriosis, according to HSE, is a rare infection caused by a type of bacteria called listeria. It usually goes away on its own, but it can make some people seriously ill.

You can contract listeriosis by eating food contaminated with listeria bacteria.

The bacteria can contaminate a wide range of foods, but most infections are caused by eating chilled, ready-to-eat foods, such as:

• cold, cooked sliced meats and cured meats
• smoked and cured fish - including in sushi
• cooked shellfish
• soft mould-ripened cheeses (such as camembert and brie) and blue-veined cheeses
• pâté
• pre-prepared sandwiches and salads
• pre-cut fruit (such as pre-packed melon slices)
• unpasteurised milk
• dairy products made from unpasteurised milk

Although it's less common, you can also catch listeriosis from:

READ NEXT: 'Do not eat' - Fresh listeria fears as salad pulled from shelves in Irish supermarkets

• someone else who has it - for example, if you eat food they've handled when they've not washed their hands
• close contact with farm animals - especially sheep and cows that are giving birth

Symptoms of listeriosis:

The HSE has said that in most people, listeriosis has no symptoms or only causes mild symptoms for a few days, such as:

• a high temperature
• aches and pains
• chills
• feeling or being sick
• diarrhoea

If you're pregnant, you may also have a stomach ache or notice your baby moving less than usual.

Babies with listeriosis may also be irritable and feed less than usual.

Risks of listeriosis:

Listeriosis is not usually serious for most people but some people have a higher risk of serious problems, including:

• pregnant women
• newborn babies
• people with a condition that weakens their immune system, such as cancer, diabetes, liver disease or kidney disease
• people having treatment that weakens their immune system, such as chemotherapy or steroid tablets

Older people are also at higher risk of getting seriously ill from listeriosis, and this risk increases with age.

If you get listeriosis while you're pregnant, there is a risk it could cause miscarriage or stillbirth, according to the HSE.

In babies and people with a weakened immune system, listeriosis can sometimes lead to serious and life-threatening problems such as sepsis or meningitis.