A high fever of 42℃ almost killed him, just because he ate leftovers?

Recently, a woman in Guangzhou had a high fever and fell into a coma for several days after eating packaged fried chicken rice stored in the refrigerator. The final examination results showed that it was encephalitis caused by infection with Listeria.

What is Listeria?

Listeria (Listeria monocytogenes) is a foodborne pathogen that is widely distributed in nature. It is not only resistant to dryness and salt, but also to cold. It can survive in the temperature range of 0 to 45°C and is known as the "refrigerator killer".

How is infection usually transmitted?

Most Listeria infections are caused by eating food contaminated by the bacteria, and a few are caused by direct contact with infected animals (slaughtering pigs, cattle, sheep, etc.). Dairy and meat products, aquatic products, vegetables and fruits, ready-to-eat foods, etc. are most likely to be contaminated by Listeria (especially dairy and meat products that have been stored in the refrigerator for too long).

What are the symptoms of infection?

The incubation period of Listeria infection is generally 3 to 72 days. Healthy people usually do not become ill after infection or only show mild gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc.).

However, susceptible people such as pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, people with certain diseases or who are immunocompromised are very likely to develop complications such as meningitis and sepsis after infection. If not treated in time, serious consequences such as premature birth, miscarriage, stillbirth, and death are likely to occur. The mortality rate is as high as 20% to 50%.

How can you avoid Listeria infection?

Following the "Five Keys to Food Safety" recommended by the World Health Organization (keep clean, separate raw and cooked food, cook food thoroughly, store food in a safe environment, and ensure that food ingredients and water sources are clean and uncontaminated) can effectively prevent Listeria infection.

Finally, I would like to emphasize again that Listeria can be killed if heated at a core temperature of above 70°C for 2 minutes. Therefore, in daily life, leftover rice, leftover vegetables, dairy products, meat, aquatic products, etc. that we take out of the refrigerator must be fully heated or cooked thoroughly before eating.

Source: Food Conscious