Prevention of listeriosis (Listeria)
Learn how listeriosis can be prevented.
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There is no vaccine to prevent listeriosis.
However, you can reduce your risk of getting listeriosis by:
- following general food safety tips
- unlike most bacteria, Listeria can survive and sometimes grow on foods stored in the refrigerator
- Listeria can be killed by cooking food properly
- washing your hands often and properly
It is difficult to prevent illness from listeriosis based on a food’s appearance. Foods that are contaminated with the Listeria bacteria will look, smell and taste normal. This is why people at high-risk for severe illness should avoid eating the following foods:
- deli meats, unless they are:
- dried and salted
- heated until steaming hot
- pâté and meat spreads, unless they are:
- frozen
- canned
- shelf-stable (able to survive for long periods of time without spoiling on store or home shelves)
- raw or undercooked meat, poultry and fish
- hot dog wieners, unless they are heated until they are steaming hot
- raw or unpasteurized dairy products, including soft and semi-soft cheese, such as:
- Brie
- Camembert
- blue-veined cheese
- refrigerated smoked seafood and fish, though the following seafood and fish options offer safer choices:
- canned
- shelf-stable
- fully cooked
- frozen smoked
You can help prevent others from getting sick by contacting your local public health authority to report:
- unclean restaurants or grocery stores
- suspected food poisoning from a restaurant
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