listeriosis

noun

lis·​te·​ri·​o·​sis li-ˌstir-ē-ˈō-səs 

plural listerioses li-ˌstir-ē-ˈō-ˌsēz 

: a serious encephalitic disease of a wide variety of animals that is caused by a bacterium (Listeria monocytogenes) and that in animals is often fatal but in humans is usually not fatal

Examples of listeriosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Most listeriosis infections are limited to the digestive system, with symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting developing within 24 hours of consuming contaminated food. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025

Pregnant women are 18 times more likely to get listeriosis than other healthy adults. —Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024

An estimated 1,600 people in the U.S. get listeriosis every year, with about 260 annual fatalities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. —Bruce Gil, Quartz, 18 Dec. 2024

Mild infections with listeriosis cause flu-like symptoms. —Kerry E. Kaylegian, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Listeria, from Joseph Lister

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

listeriosis

noun

lis·​te·​ri·​o·​sis (ˌ)lis-ˌtir-ē-ˈō-səs 

variants also listerellosis

ˌlis-tə-rə-ˈlō-səs 

plural listerioses also listerelloses -ˌsēz 

: a serious disease of animals and humans that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Listeria (L. monocytogenes), that in animals causes severe encephalitis accompanied by disordered movements and is often fatal, that is contracted by humans especially from contaminated food (as processed meats or unpasteurized milk or cheese), that in otherwise healthy people typically takes the form of a mild flu-like illness or has no noticeable symptoms, that in neonates, the elderly, and the immunocompromised often causes serious sometimes fatal illness with symptoms including meningitis and sepsis, and that in pregnant women usually causes only mild illness in the mother but often results in miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature birth see circling disease