listeriosis

American  

[li-steer-ee-oh-sis] / lɪˌstɪər iˈoʊ sɪs /

Also listeriasis

noun

Veterinary Pathology.

plural

listerioses

1. a disease of wild and domestic mammals, birds, and occasionally of humans, caused by a bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes, and characterized by lack of control of movement, paralysis, fever, and monocytosis.

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listeriosis British  

/ lɪˌstɪərɪˈəʊsɪs /

noun

1. a serious form of food poisoning, caused by bacteria of the genus Listeria . Its symptoms can include meningitis and in pregnant women it may cause damage to the fetus

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Etymology

Origin of listeriosis

First recorded in 1940–45; listeri(a) + -osis

Example Sentences

In 1985, more than three dozen deaths in California — including stillbirths and fetuses lost to miscarriage – were blamed on listeriosis from soft cheeses produced by an Artesia company named Jalisco Mexican Products.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

Listeria are bacteria that can contaminate food and lead to listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns.

From BBC • Nov. 23, 2024

Food and Drug Administration in 2017 linked the creamery’s cheese to an outbreak of listeriosis that resulted in eight hospitalizations and two deaths — one in Vermont and another in Connecticut.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 5, 2024

Technically, the term refers to the bacteria, but it often is used instead to refer to listeriosis, the illness.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2024

Maternal-fetal listeriosis is a severe disease that can lead to miscarriage, premature birth or serious neonatal infection.

From Science Daily • Dec. 1, 2023