Patient discussions

Pregnant women and severely immunocompromised patients should be advised to avoid any possible consumption of contaminated food. The CDC advises that people at risk of listeriosis avoid the following foods:[30]

  • Unpasteurised soft cheese, such as queso fresco and brie

  • Unheated cheeses sliced at a deli

  • Unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages

  • Premade deli salads, such as coleslaw and potato, tuna, or chicken salad

  • Refrigerated pâté or meat spreads

  • Refrigerated smoked fish

  • Raw or lightly cooked sprouts

  • Cut melon left out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s exposed to temperatures hotter than 90°F, such as a picnic or hot car)

  • Cut melon in refrigerator for more than a week

  • Raw (unpasteurised) milk, yogurt, and ice cream.

Patients should be advised that hand hygiene is very important, as is washing cutting tools well after use.​​​​​​​​ Targeted prevention, including food safety education and messaging, is needed for the decrease of the invasive disease to specific ethnic groups.[24]

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