Listeria monocytogenes infection in Israel and review of cases worldwide.
Listeria monocytogenes, an uncommon foodborne pathogen, is increasingly recognized as a cause of life-threatening disease. A marked increase in reported cases of listeriosis during 1998 motivated a retrospective nationwide survey of the infection in Israel. From 1995 to 1999, 161 cases were identified; 70 (43%) were perinatal infections, with a fetal mortality rate of 45%. Most (74%) of the 91 nonperinatal infections involved immunocompromised patients with malignancies, chronic liver disease, chronic renal failure, or diabetes mellitus. The common clinical syndromes in these patients were primary bacteremia (47%) and meningitis (28%). The crude case-fatality rate in this group was 38%, with a higher death rate in immunocompromised patients.
Siegman-Igra
Yardena
Y
Infectious Diseases Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman Street, Tel-Aviv 64239, Israel. ZIHUM@tasmc.health.gov.il
Levin
Rotem
R
Weinberger
Miriam
M
Golan
Yoav
Y
Schwartz
David
D
Samra
Zmira
Z
Konigsberger
Hana
H
Yinnon
Amos
A
Rahav
Galia
G
Keller
Nathan
N
Bisharat
Nail
N
Karpuch
Jehuda
J
Finkelstein
Renato
R
Alkan
Michael
M
Landau
Zvi
Z
Novikov
Julia
J
Hassin
David
D
Rudnicki
Carlos
C
Kitzes
Ruth
R
Ovadia
Shmouel
S
Shimoni
Zvi
Z
Lang
Ruth
R
Shohat
Tamar
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy