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Listeriosis Outbreak & How to Protect Yourself

A probiotic every day keeps listeria away!

The World Health Organisation has said South Africa’s Listeria outbreak is believed to be the largest-ever outbreak of the bacterial disease listeriosis. Listeriosis is a serious, but preventable and treatable disease caused by the bacterium, listeria monocytogenes, which is found in soil, water, and vegetation. Animal products, including meat and dairy; seafood; and fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables, can all be contaminated.

Anyone can get Listeriosis. However, those at high risk of severe disease are newborns, the elderly, immune-compromised individuals, pregnant women and their unborn babies; and those with underlying conditions such as HIV, diabetes, cancer, chronic liver or kidney disease. Symptoms are usually mild and may include fever, myalgia, malaise and sometimes nausea or diarrhea. If it spreads to the nervous system, it can also cause headaches, confusion, loss of balance, stiff neck, and convulsions.

Listeriosis is usually spread through the ingestion of contaminated food products most frequently with raw or unpasteurised milk and soft cheeses, but also vegetables, processed foods, ready-to-eat meats and smoked fish products. Unlike most other foodborne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes can grow in refrigerated foods that are contaminated.

What can you do to protect you and your family from listeriosis and other pathogenic viruses:

  • Use only pasteurized dairy products;
  • Thoroughly cook raw foods from animal sources, such as beef, pork or poultry;
  • Wash your hands before preparing food, before eating and after going to the toilet;
  • Wash and decontaminate kitchen surfaces and utensils regularly, particularly after preparing raw meat, poultry and eggs, including industrial kitchens. Super EM, a concentrated, 100% natural, biological product, can be used to clean surfaces and cutting boards to reduce and eliminate harmful bacteria breeding in these areas; 
  • Wash raw vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating;
  • Set your fridge temperatures to below 4’C; and freezer temperatures below -18’C;
  • Take a multi-species probiotic like Rawbiotics DAILY or Rawbiotics KIDS that can help prevent infections caused by contaminated foods by boosting your intestinal immunity.

Probiotics help boost the immune system. They support the body’s natural defenses, starting in the digestive tract by naturally restoring the balance of “good”  beneficial bacteria in the gut. 70% of your immune system lives in your digestive tract, so a healthy and balanced digestive system plays a very important role in strengthening your overall health and well-being.

The beneficial bacteria strains in Rawbiotics probiotics have shown benefit in balancing the immune system, preventing infections and allergies, reducing antibiotic-associated diarrhea and improving overall intestinal health and function.

By taking a daily probiotic, you are strengthening the beneficial bacteria in your gut to protect your immune system to fight off pathogenic bacteria such as listeriosis.

For more information, visit our product page for more details on the above mentioned products.