Listeria and Pregnancy: Risk, Symptoms, and What to Do
Listeria is a bacteria that can cause serious illness during pregnancy. It spreads through certain foods, especially deli meats, soft cheeses, and unpasteurized dairy products. Pregnant people face a much higher risk of listeria infection than other adults. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, understanding listeria helps you make safer food choices and know when to seek help.
What Is Listeria and Why It Matters in Pregnancy
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium found in soil and water. It can contaminate food at any point—during growing, processing, or storage. Unlike many bacteria, listeria survives in cold temperatures, which means it can grow in refrigerated foods.
Pregnant people are about 10 times more likely to get listeria infection than non-pregnant adults. The infection, called listeriosis, can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or serious illness in newborns. This is why health officials take listeria very seriously during pregnancy.
Listeria does not always cause obvious symptoms in the pregnant person. You might feel mildly ill and not realize the danger to your baby. This makes prevention through food safety the best defense.
Foods That Carry Listeria Risk
Listeria grows best in foods that are ready-to-eat or minimally processed. The main risk foods include:
Deli meats and cold cuts (ham, turkey, roast beef, salami)
Hot dogs and cured sausages
Soft cheeses (feta, brie, queso fresco, blue cheese)
Unpasteurized milk and dairy products
Pâté and meat spreads
Smoked seafood (lox, smoked salmon)
Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and seafood
Unwashed raw vegetables
You do not need to avoid all these foods. The key is knowing how to prepare them safely. Deli meats heated until steaming hot are safe. Hard cheeses and pasteurized soft cheeses carry minimal risk. Cook raw vegetables well, or wash them thoroughly under running water.
Symptoms of Listeria Infection
Listeria symptoms can appear 2 to 30 days after eating contaminated food. Early signs include:
Fever and chills
Muscle aches and body pain
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Headache
Fatigue
These symptoms may feel like mild flu. Many pregnant people mistake listeria for a common illness. If you have fever or flu-like symptoms during pregnancy, contact your healthcare provider. Do not wait to see if it goes away on its own.
Some pregnant people with listeria feel no symptoms at all but still carry the infection. This is another reason why prevention matters so much.
What You Need to Know: Safe Food Practices
Heat deli meats and hot dogs until they are steaming hot (165°F internal temperature) before eating.
Choose hard cheeses and pasteurized soft cheeses. Check labels to confirm pasteurization.
Drink only pasteurized milk and eat only pasteurized dairy products.
Cook all meat, poultry, and seafood to safe internal temperatures. Use a food thermometer.
Wash all raw vegetables and fruits under running water before eating or cooking.
Keep your refrigerator clean and at 40°F or below.
Do not eat foods past their expiration date.
Avoid unpasteurized juices and raw sprouts.
Check the recall database regularly for listeria alerts on foods you eat.
If a food you bought is recalled, throw it away or return it to the store.
Common Questions
Q: Can I eat deli meat during pregnancy?
A: Yes, if you heat it first. Cold deli meat carries listeria risk. Heat sliced deli meat until it is steaming hot before adding it to sandwiches or eating it. This kills the bacteria.
Q: Is all soft cheese unsafe during pregnancy?
A: Not all soft cheese. Soft cheeses made from pasteurized milk are safe. Cheeses made from unpasteurized milk carry risk. Always read the label. If the label does not say "pasteurized," do not eat it.
Q: What should I do if I ate a recalled food?
A: Stop eating it immediately and throw it away. Call your healthcare provider and tell them what you ate and when. They may want to test you for listeria. Do not panic—early detection and treatment work well.
Q: Can I get listeria from touching contaminated food?
A: No. Listeria spreads through eating contaminated food, not through touching it. Wash your hands after handling any raw food, but the risk comes from eating, not contact.
Q: How is listeria treated during pregnancy?
A: A healthcare provider can prescribe antibiotics to treat listeria. Treatment is most effective when started early. This is why reporting symptoms quickly matters. Do not take any medication without talking to your doctor first.
When to Take Action
Contact your healthcare provider right away if you develop fever, chills, muscle aches, or flu-like symptoms during pregnancy. Tell them what you have eaten in the past few weeks. If you learn that a food you ate was recalled for listeria, call your doctor even if you feel well. Early treatment prevents serious harm to your pregnancy.
Stay Ahead of Recalls
Food recalls happen often, and listeria recalls are among the most serious. Checking the recall database by hand takes time. You can get personalized alerts for recalled foods sent straight to your phone or email. This way, you learn about dangers the moment they are announced—not weeks later when you might have already eaten the product.