title: Listeria monocytogenes infection in Israel and review of cases worldwide.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman Street, Tel-Aviv 64239, Israel. ZIHUM@tasmc.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Yardena
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Siegman-Igra
authors.forename: Rotem
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Golan
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Zmira
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Samra
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Konigsberger
authors.forename: Amos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yinnon
authors.forename: Galia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rahav
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Nail
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bisharat
authors.forename: Jehuda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karpuch
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Landau
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novikov
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hassin
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rudnicki
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kitzes
authors.forename: Shmouel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ovadia
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shimoni
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shohat
mesh_terms: 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