Listeria

Radioactive bacteria targets metastatic pancreatic cancer

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have developed a therapy for pancreatic cancer that uses Listeria bacteria to selectively infect tumor cells and deliver radioisotopes into them. The ex ...

Cancer created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Peptide found to induce autophagy resulting in defense against diseases

(Medical Xpress)—A multi-disciplined team of researchers from the United States and The Netherlands has found that introducing a certain type of peptide into mice cells induces autophagy, which in turn helps in fighting ...

Medical research created Jan 31, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast report

Garlic compound fights source of food-borne illness better than antibiotics

Researchers at Washington State University have found that a compound in garlic is 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics at fighting the Campylobacter bacterium, one of the most common causes of intestinal illnes ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 01, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Immune cells cluster and communicate 'like bees,' researcher says

The immune system's T cells, while coordinating responses to diseases and vaccines, act like honey bees sharing information about the best honey sources, according to a new study by scientists at UC San Francisco.

Immunology created Mar 13, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Innate immune system protein provides a new target in war against bacterial infections

Research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists has identified a possible new approach to defeating bacterial infections by targeting an innate immune system component in a bid to invigorate the immune response.

Immunology created Jul 02, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Research discovers novel mechanism for preventing infection via body's mucosal borders

Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology have identified a previously unknown mechanism that generates protective immune memory cells to fight recurring infections at the body's mucosal linings – ...

Medical research created Oct 03, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Rare immune cell is asset and liability in fighting infection

The same trait that makes a rare immune cell invaluable in fighting some infections also can be exploited by other diseases to cause harm, two new studies show.

Medical research created Aug 26, 2011 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study says chicken, ground beef are riskiest meats

An analysis of more than 33,000 cases of foodborne illness shows that ground beef and chicken have caused more hospitalizations than other meats.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 23, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Intestine crucial to function of immune cells, research shows

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found an explanation for how the intestinal tract influences a key component of the immune system to prevent infection, offering a potential clue to the cause of autoimmune disorders ...

Medical research created Dec 12, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Q&A: Key answers about listeria in fruit

(AP) -- Some questions consumers may have about listeria in cantaloupes.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Sep 29, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Progesterone may be why pregnant women are more vulnerable to certain infections

Women who are pregnant or using synthetic progesterone birth control injections have a conspicuous vulnerability to certain infections including malaria, Listeria, HIV, and herpes simplex virus. A new research report appearing ...

Medical research created Feb 28, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Georgia Tech develops software for the rapid analysis of foodborne pathogens

2011 brought two of the deadliest bacterial outbreaks the world has seen during the last 25 years. The two epidemics accounted for more than 4,200 cases of infectious disease and 80 deaths. Software developed at Georgia Tech ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Feb 13, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Trudeau Institute reports new approach to treating Listeria infections

Research underway at the Trudeau Institute could lead to new treatments for people sickened by Listeria and other sepsis-causing bacteria. Dr. Stephen Smiley's laboratory has published a study in the scientific journal Infection an ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Oct 17, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Lettuce: buy bagged or not?

(HealthDay)—Six separate recalls of bagged lettuce since April haven't done much to bolster the public's confidence in pre-cut and pre-washed greens.

Health created Sep 07, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

US proposes sweeping new food safety rules (Update)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday proposed the most sweeping food safety rules in decades, requiring farmers and food companies to be more vigilant in the wake of deadly outbreaks in peanuts, cantaloupe and ...

Health created Jan 04, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1


Listeria is a bacterial genus that contains seven species. Named after the English pioneer of sterile surgery Joseph Lister, the genus received its current name in 1940. Listeria species are Gram-positive bacilli. The major human pathogen in the Listeria genus is L. monocytogenes. It is usually the causative agent of the relatively rare bacterial disease, listeriosis, a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria. The disease affects primarily pregnant women, newborns, adults with weakened immune systems, and the elderly.

Listeriosis is a serious disease for humans; the overt form of the disease has a mortality rate of about 20 percent. The two main clinical manifestations are sepsis and meningitis. Meningitis is often complicated by encephalitis, a pathology that is unusual for bacterial infections. Listeria ivanovii is a pathogen of mammals, specifically ruminants, and has rarely caused listeriosis in humans.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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