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  Sometimes foods we love and count on for good health are contaminated with germs that cause serious illness and can be deadly for certain people.

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  At least 90% of people who get Listeria food poisoning are in highly vulnerable groups.

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  Listeria can hide in many foods; including raw sprouts, hot dogs and deli meat, smoked seafood, and soft cheeses and raw (unpasteurized) milk.

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  While Listeria infection is rare, it is the 3rd leading cause of death from food poisoning.

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  Listeria  monocytogenes (blue) and other Listeria  species (white).

  Listeria  are bacteria commonly found in the environment.  Listeriosis, a rare disease caused by these bacteria, occurs when someone eats food contaminated with Listeria ; it is only diagnosed by laboratory testing.

  Image courtesy of Brian Sauders, New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Food Laboratory Division

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  Tracking Listeria  infections: In 2004, CDC and state health departments developed a rapid response system for Listeria  called the Listeria  Initiative. From 2004 to 2011 there has been a nearly five-fold increase in the number of states reporting cases to the Listeria  Initiative (10 in 2004 to 47 in 2011).

  Image courtesy of Brian Saunders, New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Food Laboratory Division

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  Each year, FoodNet reports on the changes in the number of people in the United States sickened with foodborne infections that have been confirmed by laboratory tests. This annual report card lets CDC, its partners, and policy makers know how much progress has been made in reaching national goals for reducing foodborne illness.

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  Did you know you can search CDC’s data to find foodborne outbreaks by year, state, location, and pathogen, including Listeria ? YOU can be a foodborne disease detective using CDC’s Foodborne Outbreak Online Database (FOOD).   Discover  how recent outbreaks reveal  foods not considered typically considered  risky for Listeria , like celery, sprouts, and cantaloupe.

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  Listeria  can contaminate food during food production and processing. It can hide unnoticed in food-processing equipment. Outbreaks in the 1990s were primarily linked to deli meats and hot dogs. Now, Listeria  outbreaks are mainly caused by soft Mexican-style cheeses like queso fresco and other cheeses that were either made from unpasteurized milk or that got contaminated during cheese-making.

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  PulseNet: Tracking Foodborne Outbreaks

  Molecular subtyping of bacteria isolated from ill people by state public health laboratories is essential to detecting foodborne outbreaks.  Every state has at least one public health laboratory able to match up bacteria from sick people using PulseNet's  DNA fingerprinting technique and database. For Listeria  infections, public health laboratories can quickly help find a potential outbreak by identifying matching DNA patterns among the approximately 750 Listeria  bacteria samples submitted each year.

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  PulseNet  keeps a cumulative database representing over half a million isolates of bacteria, including Listeria , from food, the environment, and human foodborne illness dating back to its beginning in 1996.

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  CDC PulseNet database managers Steven Stroika and Beth Tolar use computer software to compare pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), or DNA fingerprint, patterns submitted from labs across the country. By monitoring trends in these patterns, the PulseNet team can find increases in case submissions across the country in real-time and quickly launch investigations into the cause of illnesses. 

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  CDC microbiologist Jessica Halpin prepares a sample of Listeria  for DNA fingerprinting by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Each type of foodborne bacteria has a unique DNA fingerprint that scientists can identify using techniques like PFGE.

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  Computer image of a Listeria  pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern, or DNA fingerprint.

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  PulseNet relies on isolates from culture-based testing methods (like pulsed field gel electrophoresis), the long-held standard in testing of specimens from patients with foodborne and other infections. Today, new and faster diagnostic technology called culture independent diagnostic testing (CIDT) that do not use cultures are being used by clinical laboratories in diagnosing foodborne infections. Because of their rapid turnaround times and less labor-intensive methods, these tests may soon replace culture-based tests.

  As this happens, PulseNet will need to develop new DNA fingerprinting techniques that do not depend on bacterial cultures.

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  New DNA fingerprinting techniques that do not depend on bacterial cultures include Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD), which combines two powerful technologies (molecular sequencing and advanced computing) to solve complex infectious disease mysteries—the who, what, where, when, and how killer microbes harm people.

  Whole genome sequencing, one part of AMD, quickly gives a lot of information about foodborne and other types of bacteria. This information will let CDC scientists put together the “puzzle” of an outbreak more quickly and at lower cost.

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  When scientists investigate a foodborne outbreak, they work to find the point of contamination and source of the food. Steps can then be taken to control the outbreak, including recalling food items and telling consumers the best actions to take. Learn about the whole investigation process here and about FDA’s CORE network and how they trace contamination back to the source, here.

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  Do you know the 4 steps to keep your family safe from food poisoning? Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often. Separate: Don't cross-contaminate. Cook: Cook to the right temperature. Chill: Refrigerate promptly.

  Learn more about Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill here.

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