What is listeriosis? The illness behind the plant-based milk recall

Several people in Ontario have become sick with listeriosis in an outbreak that triggered a national recall of certain plant-based milks that may have been contaminated with Listeria.

The Listeria bacterium is found in soil, sewage and untreated water. It can also be found in foods such as meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables and dairy products.

Listeria can get into fruits and vegetables if contaminated water is used on crops. They can also become contaminated from Listeria in soil and manure-based fertilizers.

Food manufacturing and processing facilities can also spread the bacteria if contaminated water or contaminated ingredients are used there, Health Canada says.

McMaster University microbiologist Lori Burrows says Listeria can also get into food or liquids if surfaces or equipment in processing plants aren’t sufficiently disinfected.

3:01 Health Matters: 9 people in Ontario have contracted listeriosis, warning issued over Silk brand products

Listeriosis is an illness caused by consumption of Listeria-contaminated food or water.

It can also be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy.

The illness can also spread through contact with infected animals, but it’s generally not spread between people, public health officials say.

Listeriosis can cause vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness.

Symptoms of severe listeriosis may appear up to 70 days after you have been exposed to Listeria. In severe cases, the infection can be fatal.

4:03 Ask The Doctor: What is Listeria and how to avoid it

People with weakened immune systems, adults over the age of 60 and pregnant women – including their fetus or newborn baby – are at heightened risk of listeriosis complications, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.