Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Bacterium causes food-borne illnesses
By NIKOLAUS OLSEN
NikOlsen@coloradoan.com
A Colorado State University professor has netted a $2 million grant to find new ways to control Listeria, a bacterium that contaminates ready-to-eat foods and puts pregnant women at risk for stillbirths and miscarriages.
Listeria causes an estimated 2,500 food-borne illnesses and about 500 deaths each year.
It is most often found in salads, smoked seafood, raw milk, and soft cheese and in processed meats like hot dogs.
It can also be transmitted in the home when food is improperly handled.
For more, read Wednesday’s Coloradoan.