Staff writer, with CNAA doctor has warned people, especially those in high-risk groups, against the potentially deadly infectious disease listeriosis, which is caused by bacteria found in uncooked food. The bacteria that causes the disease — listeria — is widely present in soil and water, and is quite resilient, Chen said. One of the biggest outbreaks occurred in the US in 2011, when listeria-contaminated cantaloupes from a farm in Colorado resulted in 147 listeriosis cases, 33 of which ended in death. Even before notification of listeriosis was made mandatory, the CDC received reports of 109 cases from September 2014 to June 2016. The most commonly affected group was people aged 65 and over, but two cases involved mother-to-child (vertical) infection, according to CDC data.

Source: Taipei Times January 02, 2019 15:56 UTC