Listeria

[belfie]

I've heard that the occurrence of listeria is actually pretty low now (well in Australia anyway), but then is that because the guidelines about what to eat are so much more publicised and well known? My doc spoke with the head of Infectious Diseases at one of the hosps in Melb and apparently was told the rates are very low.

I've also heard the same as others have said, that increased risk is due to your immune system being a bit lowered when you're PG, and that your fetus has far far higher chance of contracting it (and having it be harmful) even though it's highly unlikely to harm you. Apparently elderly & ppl with cancer are also at higher risk too. So from that I took it that it's something to be sensible, but not petrified about IYKWIM! And in answer to the question...

why we cant eat the food we normally eat that's never made us sick.

then my understanding is a) we're more at risk than we normally are, and b) bubba has less protection against this than we do.

[Antheia]

Thanks for not taking this the wrong way as i really just wanted to find out how it all works because i dont know much about it. Only what people have told me.

To be honest i think it needs to be publicised more. I never knew about listeria in my first pregnancy until i signed up on bellybelly and found out that way. I can imagine there's a lot of people who dont know much about it if at all.