Greece: Outbreak of listeriosis, a potentially fatal disease

An increase in cases of listeriosis, a foodborne illness, has been recorded in Greece, EODY reports.

In total, 266 cases of listeriosis were registered in our country in 2004-2023. According to EODY, 31 cases of this disease were registered from 01/01/2023 to 12/31/2023. Information on 2 cases out of 31 was transferred to medical institutions abroad due to the fact that the patients were foreign citizens. The average age of patients was 67 years (minimum 0 years, maximum 92 years), 18 (58.1%) were men. Places of residence of the sick:

• 9 (32.1%) people were residents of the Attica region,
• 6 (21.4%) – Crete region,
• 4 (14.3%) were residents of the Western Greece region,
• 9 residents of other various regions.

Eighteen (58.1%) cases had CNS (central nervous system) manifestations (complications). Of the 29 cases, 19 (65.5%) patients were immunocompromised, 2 (6.9%) were pregnant, and 2 (6.9%) were neonates. One of the two pregnant women One had a spontaneous miscarriage, while the other had a premature birth. An outbreak of listeriosis is currently underway, according to EODY. There have been 12 cases registered this year (up to 11.04.2024).

Listeriosis is a foodborne illness.caused by the anaerobic gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The mortality rate from listeriosis is high compared to other foodborne diseases.. It usually occurs in pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms range from mild flu-like or gastroenteritis symptoms to severe central nervous system symptoms. The bacterium is mainly responsible for isolated cases, but several outbreaks have been described in recent years, caused by the consumption of various types of food products, such as soft cheeses, salmon, frozen vegetablesListeriosis surveillance through the Mandatory Disease Reporting System (MDS) began in Greece in 2004.

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