Main points for 2020
This report summarises the number, demographics and clinical outcomes of confirmed cases of listeriosis in England and Wales in 2020:
A total 124 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 lower in men than women, but reported cases among men aged 60 to 69 were 4 times higher than in women aged 60 to 69.
Pregnancy associated infections accounted for a fifth of all reported cases and, a 34.8% of pregnancy-associated cases resulted in stillbirth or miscarriage.
Among non-pregnancy associated cases of listeriosis, death was reported for 29 cases (29.3%), of whom 17 (17.2%) 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 the North West (0.15 per 100,000 population) and the highest in the East Midlands (0.27 per 100,0000 population).
There were 2 listeriosis outbreaks investigated in England, including a national outbreak associated with smoked salmon.
Listeriosis is a foodborne disease caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. These bacteria are widely distributed in the environment and infection usually occurs after consumption of contaminated raw, chilled, or ready-to-eat foods, and can cause sporadic infection and outbreaks of disease. People with listeriosis have been reported to develop symptoms between 1 to 70 days after consuming food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Compared to other foodborne pathogens, infections in humans are relatively rare, with 2,621 confirmed cases of listeriosis reported across 28 EU member states in 2019, and a median of 160 cases in England and Wales each year (2010 to 2019). However, listeriosis can cause severe clinical outcomes in vulnerable groups, including those aged over 60 years, pregnant women and their unborn or newborn babies, and people with impaired immunity. In these groups, listeriosis can present as infection of the bloodstream or brain. Due to the severity of infection and high case fatality rate, listeriosis is an important public health concern.
National surveillance of listeriosis in England and Wales has been undertaken since 1992. This report summarises the number, demographics and clinical outcomes of confirmed cases of listeriosis in England and Wales reported in 2020.
