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# Older Americans, pregnant women face highest risk from Listeria food poisoning
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/listeria_food_poisoning_0604130911/
- Published: 2013-06-04T22:10:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T13:56:02.000Z
- Description: A CDC Vital Signs report finds adults 65 and older are four times likelier than the general population to get a listeria infection, pregnant women 10 times and pregnant Hispanic women 24 times. Those groups, newborns and immunocompromised people make up at least 90 percent of cases.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Biological, Food Safety, #vivvo-import

## *Most recent outbreaks linked to soft cheese, raw produce*

*Listeria* can cause serious infection in certain vulnerable groups, resulting in higher rates of hospitalization and death than most other bacteria commonly spread by contaminated food. A new [Vital Signs](http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwNjA0LjE5NTMyODYxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDYwNC4xOTUzMjg2MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NTk5NDM2JmVtYWlsaWQ9Zm9vZGNvbnN1bWVyLm9yZ0BnbWFpbC5jb20mdXNlcmlkPWZvb2Rjb25zdW1lci5vcmdAZ21haWwuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&102&&&http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns&ref=foodconsumer.org) report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines the key groups particularly hard hit by *listeria* food poisoning. It also highlights the importance of safety measures to prevent contamination of cheese and raw produce, such as those included in the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act.

Adults aged 65 years and older are among the groups most affected; they are four times more likely to get*listeria* infection than the general U.S. population. Pregnant women are 10 times more likely get it and pregnant Hispanic women are 24 times more likely. These groups – along with newborns and people with other health conditions that weaken their immune systems – account for at least 90 percent of reported *listeria* infections. The Vital Signs report highlights the need to educate these groups about how to prevent *listeria* infections.

[Read more>>](http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwNjA0LjE5NTMyODYxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDYwNC4xOTUzMjg2MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NTk5NDM2JmVtYWlsaWQ9Zm9vZGNvbnN1bWVyLm9yZ0BnbWFpbC5jb20mdXNlcmlkPWZvb2Rjb25zdW1lci5vcmdAZ21haWwuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&103&&&http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0604-listeria-poisoning.html&ref=foodconsumer.org)

from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention