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
The 15-state outbreak has sickened at least 20, killing four, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA began investigating cases of listeria poisoning, or listeriosis, in September.
—
Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Oct. 2025
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1,250 people in the United States get listeriosis each year, and about 172 die from the infection.
—News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
The 15-state outbreak has sickened at least 20, killing four, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA began investigating cases of listeria poisoning, or listeriosis, in September.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Symptoms of listeriosis can include fever, muscle aches, and confusion, with higher risks for pregnant individuals, adults 65 or older, and those with weakened immune systems.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for listeriosis
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Oct. 2025
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1,250 people in the United States get listeriosis each year, and about 172 die from the infection.
—News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
The 15-state outbreak has sickened at least 20, killing four, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA began investigating cases of listeria poisoning, or listeriosis, in September.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Symptoms of listeriosis can include fever, muscle aches, and confusion, with higher risks for pregnant individuals, adults 65 or older, and those with weakened immune systems.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for listeriosis
Cite this Entry
“Listeriosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listeriosis. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
listeriosis
noun
lis·te·ri·o·sis
(ˌ)lis-ˌtir-ē-ˈō-səs
variants
also listerellosis
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share