Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Listeria monocytogenes

Why, hello hello.
I'm known as L. monocytogenes.
I'm a Gram Positive rod bacteria that can't form any spores.
I live in many meats, vegetables and dairy products.
My favourite foods are fancy soft cheeses, pate, coleslaw and sliced meats.

I am especially dangerous for babies, the elderly and those without a good immune system.
In these people I cause listeriosis, made up of bacteraemia and meningitis.

In pregnant women I cause granulomatosis infantiseptica.
The fetus becomes infected and sometimes dies.