NATIONAL NEWS - Listeriosis, a food-borne disease, has claimed 36 lives in South Africa this year. 

The National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD) in Johannesburg has confirmed that 557 cases have been reported‚ a substantial increase from the average of between 60 and 80 reported in previous years. 

The Western Cape has registered 13% of the cases.

Nadia Ferreira, spokesperson for the Health Department, said, "At this stage we cannot confirm any cases in the Garden Route but the department is still busy with data analysis. 

"The majority of the cases (90%) are from the Cape Town District, and they are not particularly clustered in specific areas."

Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi said on 5 December that the disease can be treated with antibiotics.

Newborns (babies under the age of 28 days) are the most affected group. 

Among adults, most cases have occurred in the age group 25 years and older.

The outbreak of listeriosis in South Africa has prompted local municipal health departments to increase the monitoring and evaluation of food premises. 

Listeriosis is a bacterial disease commonly found in soil, water and contaminated food sources.

Who is at risk
Pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with underlying immune compromising conditions such as HIV, diabetes, cancer and chronic liver or kidney disease are the most susceptible to listeria monocytogenes infections.

How listeriosis is transmitted
The risk of infection increases if one eats contaminated food products such as raw or unpasteurised milk and soft cheeses, vegetables, processed foods, ready-to-eat meats and smoked-fish products.

Symptoms
Eating contaminated food products can produce the following symptoms: fever, muscular pain, general discomfort and sometimes nausea and diarrhoea. For those populations most at risk, the spread of infections can cause meningitis.

Listeriosis can be treated
Gastroenteritis associated with listeriosis infection does not usually require treatment, but when diarrhoea is severe, it is best to seek medical assistance. 

Severe gastroenteritis can cause dehydration, which can be very dangerous, especially for babies. 

Meningitis or septicaemia due to Listeria infections can be life-threatening, but prompt treatment with the correct antibiotics can save lives. 

Therefore it is advised to seek medical assistance if any individual, especially new-borns or those with immune compromised conditions, show any of the symptoms mentioned above.

Listeriosis can be prevented
It is important to remember that prevention is always better than cure. Listeria is destroyed by conventional cooking, so freshly cooked foods are safe to eat. 

Listeria is a bacteria that can grow in refrigerated foods that are already contaminated; therefore you should ensure that the temperature of your fridge is kept below 4°C and your deep freeze below -18°C.

If you suspect that you or any member of your family are at high risk to listeriosis, it is best to avoid the following food products:

• Raw or unpasteurised milk, or any products made from unpasteurised milk;
• Soft cheeses (e.g. feta, goat's cheese, Brie);
• Foods from delicatessen counters (e.g. prepared salads, cold meats) that have not been heated or reheated adequately;
• Refrigerated pâtés;

Following these hygiene practices to reduce the risk of listeria infection as well as other food-borne illnesses:

• Thaw ready-to-eat frozen foods in the fridge or microwave. Do not thaw food at room temperature;
• Separate raw and cooked food products to prevent cross-contamination - always pack pre-cooked or cooked food products on the top shelves in the fridge and raw products on the lower shelves;
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and clean water before preparing food;
• Wash cutting boards and knives after handling raw food to prevent cross-contamination;
• Thoroughly cook raw food, especially meat products;
• Keep cooked food products at 65°C or above and cold food products at or below 5°C;
• Cooked foods must not be stored at / cooled down at room temperature - rather store in a fridge;
• Thoroughly reheat food until steaming hot;
• Avoid the use of unpasteurised milk;
• Do not buy or eat food products, especially refrigerated foods, that are past their "use by" or "best before" dates;
• If you buy ready-to-eat, hot foods, make sure it's served steaming hot.

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