Listeriosis Symptoms and Treatment
Listeriosis is an infectious disease that can affect various organs, such as the brain, the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract. While healthy people often do not develop any symptoms after being exposed to the listeria bacteria, a listeriosis infection can be lethal for individuals with compromised immune systems, such as pregnant women, newborns, cancer patients and organ transplant patients. A relatively high listeriosis mortality rate among these groups accounts for about 500 listeriosis deaths occurring in the United States every year.
Listeriosis Symptoms
Listeria is an especially dangerous bacterium because it can infect various body systems. Depending on which organs are affected, the symptoms of listeriosis can vary greatly. If the bacteria grows within the brain tissues, it can cause encephalitis (brain inflammation), a serious condition whose symptoms include severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. If the listeria bacterium has entered the body through skin lesions, signs of listeriosis might include inflammation of the infection site, fever and chills. Because initial symptoms of listeriosis include moderate fever, body chills and upset stomach, it is often mistaken for a simple flu.
Diagnosing listeriosis is difficult not only due to the lack of specific symptoms but also because of a relatively long incubation period (the time from contracting the bacteria to developing signs of listeriosis).Some listeriosis victims do not notice any symptoms until 30 days after ingesting the bacteria. As a result, they often do not make the connection between their symptoms and a contaminated food item they might have eaten a month ago.
Listeriosis Treatment
Listeriosis is typically treated with antibiotics such as ampicillin. The antibiotic treatment is usually administered through an intravenous catheter (IV) for about 10 days. Once the bacteria have been destroyed, listeriosis patients require a certain amount of time to fully recover and regain their strength and energy. The speed of recovery depends on how quickly the listeriosis was discovered and the extent of damage it had caused to the body prior to treatment.
Listeriosis Lawsuits
While it is possible to contract listeriosis from contaminated water, most listeriosis victims in the United States become sickened after consuming listeria-tainted foods, such as soft cheeses, cold cuts, hot dogs and smoked salmon. In many cases, the infection can be traced to negligent actions of food manufacturers and/or distributors who provided consumers with dangerous products. By filing a listeriosis personal injury lawsuit, victims and/or their families can obtain compensation for their medical expenses, emotional and physical distress, time off work, reduced future income and general reduction in lifestyle.
Contacting a Skilled Listeriosis Lawyer
If you suspect that your food poisoning or the sickness of your loved one was a result of consuming a listeria-contaminated product, you might be entitled to compensation. Contact the law offices of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz today at (888) 255-2956 to discuss your case and determine if filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit might be appropriate. The skilled attorneys of AWKO Law have considerable experience litigating listeriosis food poisoning cases, as well as helping salmonella, shigella, campylobacter and E. coli victims obtain justice.
* required fields
Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz
803 North Palafox St.
Pensacola, Florida 32501
55 Baybridge Dr.
Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561
