The increase in cases of listeriosis was confirmed by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). This disease, transmitted through the consumption of contaminated food or not through contact with infected animals, killed 198 people in Europe in 2012. “Listeriosis represents 1,642 of the cases reported, or 10.5% more than in 2011 , and infections have gradually increased over the past five years, “says EFSA. France is among the countries that have reported the highest number of cases relative to their population, along with Spain, Scandinavia and Germany.
This sickness bacteria caused by Listeria monocytogenes most often results from the consumption, after prolonged storage in a cold room, of soft cheeses or ready-to-eat meat and fish products, such as sliced ham and smoked fish. In infected people, symptoms vary from mild flu-like conditions to more serious infections. Listeriosis can cause abortion or the birth of a stillborn baby in pregnant women and, in infants or people with immune deficiency, sepsis or meningitis.
Salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis on the decline
The incidence of the disease is particularly high in people over the age of 74, recalls the EFSA. His death rate is established at 17.8%. On the other hand, the European Union recorded a decrease in the number of cases of salmonellosis for the seventh consecutive year, an improvement which was possible thanks to “the success of the control programs implemented in poultry farms”, according to the EFSA. Campylobacteriosis, present in chicken meat, is also declining slightly.
“This report provides an accurate overview of the microorganisms responsible for the majority of cases of foodborne illness in the European Union, as well as the food and animals in which they may be present,” concludes EFSA .
