listeriosis

noun

lis·​te·​ri·​o·​sis li-ˌstir-ē-ˈō-səs 

plural listerioses li-ˌstir-ē-ˈō-ˌsēz 

: a serious encephalitic disease of a wide variety of animals that is caused by a bacterium (Listeria monocytogenes) and that in animals is often fatal but in humans is usually not fatal

Examples of listeriosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For people who are high-risk but not pregnant, invasive listeriosis is fatal in almost 1 in 20 cases and can cause severe symptoms like fever, stiff neck, loss of balance, and seizures. —Brian Mastroianni, Health, 29 Feb. 2024

When one is infected with Listeria, this infection is called listeriosis. —The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024

The hard-to-swallow news for cheese eaters follows an earlier story this week related to listeria, the bacteria behind listeriosis, a serious infection usually caused by eating contaminated food. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024

People who are extra concerned about listeriosis may also want to avoid higher-risk foods. —Brian Mastroianni, Health, 29 Feb. 2024

About 1,600 people in the United States develop serious listeria infections, known as listeriosis, every year — and about 260 of those infections are fatal, said Laura Gieraltowski, a public health researcher with the CDC’s outbreak response and prevention branch. —Melinda Wenner Moyer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024

Listeria bacteria—which cause a foodborne illness called listeriosis—is nothing to play with. —Ashia Aubourg, SELF, 21 Nov. 2023

An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die from the infection. —Korin Miller, Health, 7 Feb. 2024

An estimated 1,600 Americans get listeriosis each year and about 260 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Listeria, from Joseph Lister

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

listeriosis

noun

lis·​te·​ri·​o·​sis (ˌ)lis-ˌtir-ē-ˈō-səs 

variants also listerellosis

ˌlis-tə-rə-ˈlō-səs 

plural listerioses also listerelloses -ˌsēz 

: a serious disease of animals and humans that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Listeria (L. monocytogenes), that in animals causes severe encephalitis accompanied by disordered movements and is often fatal, that is contracted by humans especially from contaminated food (as processed meats or unpasteurized milk or cheese), that in otherwise healthy people typically takes the form of a mild flu-like illness or has no noticeable symptoms, that in neonates, the elderly, and the immunocompromised often causes serious sometimes fatal illness with symptoms including meningitis and sepsis, and that in pregnant women usually causes only mild illness in the mother but often results in miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature birth see circling disease