Listeria Outbreak Guidance:

A recent bulletin by the Center For Disease Control  warned that 15 people in Colorado who have eaten cantaloupe grown in the Rocky Ford region have become ill with Listeria monocytogenes. This infection, if acquired in pregnancy, can increase the risks of miscarriage, premature labor, infection of the newborn and stillbirth. Early treatment with antibiotics can prevent fetal infections and other fetal complications.

The incubation period for Listeria ranges from 24 hours to 70 days. Symptoms from exposure include fever, mild flu-like symptoms, nausea, vomiting and muscle aches. If it spreads to the nervous system, it can cause disorientation, a stiff neck and convulsions.

If you are pregnant and concerned that you may have been exposed to Listeria. Monitor yourself for fever and flu like symptoms. Please contact us for an appointment. A blood culture can confirm the diagnosis and a 4 week treatment period with an antibiotic in the penicillin class is recommended. Prophylactic antibiotics are NOT recommended for a suspected exposure.