People at Risk
In the United States, an estimated 1,600 persons become seriously ill with listeriosis each year. Of these, 260 die.
Who Gets Listeriosis?
The following groups are at increased risk:
- Pregnant women: Pregnant women are about 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis. About one in six (17%) cases of listeriosis occurs during pregnancy.
- Newborn babies: Newborn babies suffer the most serious effects of infection in pregnancy.
- Persons with weakened immune systems from transplants or certain diseases, therapies, or medications.
- Persons with cancer, diabetes, alcoholism, liver or kidney disease.
- Persons with AIDS: They are almost 300 times more likely to get listeriosis than people with normal immune systems.
- Older adults
- Healthy children and adults occasionally get infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.
