(ANSA) - ROME - "Attention remains high following the increase in clinical cases of food listeriosis recorded in various Italian regions, due to the contamination of food by the Listeria bacterium".
This was explained by the Ministry of Health, specifying that the checks carried out by the working group set up to deal with its spread, revealed a correlation between some of the clinical cases and the presence of the bacterium in chicken wϋrstel produced by the Tre Valli farm.
The presence of the Listeria ST 155 strain was also confirmed by sampling carried out at the plant.
The company has initiated all measures to protect the consumer with the withdrawal of the lots that tested positive (1785417 and 01810919) and, in application of the principle of maximum precaution, of all those produced before 12 September 2022. At the moment, further investigations also on other types of products that could be related to human cases of listeriosis.
Listeria monocytogenes, responsible for listeriosis, is a bacterium that can be present in soil, water and vegetation and can contaminate various foods such as milk, vegetables, soft cheeses, undercooked meats, slightly seasoned sausages.
The main way of transmission for humans is food.
The severity of symptoms ranges from flu-like or gastrointestinal forms, sometimes accompanied by high fever to septicemic forms, meningitis or abortion that can occur in debilitated or immunosuppressed subjects.
Listeria resists low temperatures and drying very well while it is very sensitive to the usual home cooking temperatures of foods.
For this reason, the Ministry "invites consumers to pay maximum attention to the correct methods of conservation,
