• Meatloaf: The Government notes that the health alert for listeriosis of the meat of 'La Mechá' affects all of Spain
  • Meatloaf. What is listeriosis and what are its symptoms?

A 90-year- old woman has become the first fatal victim of the listeriosis outbreak detected in Andalusia, as reported on Tuesday by the director of the infectious unit of the Virgen del Rocío hospital, spokesman for the Junta de Andalucía, José Miguel Cisneros.

As explained in a press conference, the deceased had consumed meat from the "Mechá" brand, the origin of this outbreak, and was part of the "risk group" of patients affected by this disease, according to Cisneros.

The total number of people affected by listeriosis in Andalusia amounted to 20 hours yesterday, last official data, 114 patients , 34 more than the previous day.

Of these patients, 53 remain hospitalized, 18 of them are pregnant and two newborn babies.

Listeria is a bacterium that adapts very well to different environments, colonizes all kinds of foods and manages to multiply even inside the refrigerator. That is why it is one of the main causes of food infections worldwide.

In most cases, this contamination does not cause serious health problems and remains in mild gastroenteritis. But in others, especially if those affected are elderly, pregnant women or people with previous conditions .

The symptoms

People with invasive listeriosis usually develop symptoms within one to four weeks after ingesting a contaminated product. In pregnant women, these signs may not be very striking and resemble those that usually accompany the flu.

In contrast, in older people, the disease, which can cause meningitis or encephalitis, often shows other signs, such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures, apart from fever and muscle aches .

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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Health The Government notes that the health alert for listeriosis of the meat of 'La Mechá' affects all of Spain