Main points for 2023
This report summarises the number, demographics and clinical outcomes of confirmed cases of listeriosis in England and Wales in 2023. The main points are:
- in 2023, 177 cases of listeriosis were reported in England and Wales
- incidence rates of listeriosis were highest in people aged 80 years and over
- overall, the crude incidence of listeriosis was comparable in men and women, but for the age groups 20 to 29 and 30 to 39 reported cases among women were higher, and for those aged 70 and older rates were higher among men
- pregnancy-associated infections accounted for around a sixth of all reported cases and 23.1% of pregnancy associated cases (where known) resulted in still birth or miscarriage
- among non-pregnancy-associated cases of listeriosis, death was reported for 32 cases (21.6%), of whom 11 (34.4%, or 7.4% of all non-pregnancy-associated cases) were known to have listeriosis recorded as a cause of death on the death certificate
- incidence of listeriosis varied geographically, with the lowest incidence in Wales (0.13 per 100,000 population) and the highest in the South West (0.38 cases per 100,000 population)
- there were 7 listeriosis outbreaks investigated in England and Wales in 2023, including national outbreaks associated with smoked fish, semi-soft cheese and beef products
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