Listeriosis News and Research

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Listeriosis, a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, has recently been recognized as an important public health problem in the United States. The disease affects primarily persons of advanced age, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. However, persons without these risk factors can also rarely be affected. The risk may be reduced by following a few simple recommendations.

FDA warns consumers not to drink raw milk from Tucker Adkins Dairy

The FDA is working with officials in North Carolina and South Carolina to investigate an outbreak of campylobacteriosis in three people who consumed raw milk from Tucker Adkins Dairy in York, S.C. The three confirmed cases and another five probable cases are from three different households and each case reports that prior to becoming ill they consumed raw milk that was obtained from Tucker Adkins Dairy on June 14, 2011.

18 Jul 2011

New positive Cimzia phase IIIb study data on rheumatoid arthritis presented at EULAR meeting

UCB today announced data which showed that the addition of Cimzia to current therapy was associated with a rapid and consistent clinical response in a diverse group of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

30 May 2011

Journal of Rheumatology publishes positive results from Cimzia Phase III trial in RA

UCB announced today results from a post hoc analysis of the RAPID 1 study published in the Journal of Rheumatology. The results suggest moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with Cimzia, the only approved PEGylated anti-TNF, together with methotrexate, achieved a rapid response associated with improved long-term outcomes one year after treatment began.

11 May 2011

UCB presents P3, P4 clinical trial data for Crohn's disease at ACG Scientific Meeting

Findings from the PRECiSE 3 (P3) open label extension study for Cimzia, demonstrating the longest continuously running maintenance trial for an anti-TNF in Crohn's disease, will be exhibited at the 2010 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), taking place in San Antonio from October 15 – 20. Additionally, long-term efficacy data from the PRECiSE 4 (P4) clinical trial also will be presented at the meeting.

19 Oct 2010

ACG meeting to exhibit Cimzia data for Crohn's disease treatment

Studies and analyses of the Crohn's disease (CD) treatment Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) will be exhibited at the 2010 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, taking place in San Antonio from October 15 – 20.

18 Oct 2010

Unpredictable food poisoning

While we are often exposed to bacteria in our food which could cause food poisoning, we don't always become ill - why should this be so?

6 Sep 2010

U.S. Department of Justice seeks permanent injunction against N.Y. food processor over listeria contamination

The U.S. Department of Justice, in an action initiated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is seeking a permanent injunction against NY Gourmet Salads, Inc., a processor of ready-to-eat deli salads, seafood salads, and cream cheeses in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Leonard F. Spada, the company's president.

3 Aug 2010

Stop & Shop Supermarket announces voluntary recall of Nature's Promise Alfalfa, Zesty Sprouts

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company has announced a voluntary recall of Nature's Promise Alfalfa and Zesty Sprouts because they have the potential to be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.

31 Jul 2010

Study on how cellular defence systems keep themselves in check from damaging cells themselves

When cells are attacked by bacteria they use all means at their disposal to defend themselves. But cellular defence systems can damage the cells themselves and so need to be kept tightly in check. Recent results help us to understand how this is done and give pointers to new ways of combating disease. Matthias Farlik in the group of Thomas Decker at the Centre for Molecular Biology of the University of Vienna (Max F. Perutz Laboratories) and Mathias Müller of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have published these findings in the current issue of the journal "Immunity".

16 Jul 2010

Small molecule ramps up interferon production in host cells, launching potent immune response

Many disease-causing microbes carry pumps that expel antibiotics, making the bugs hard to kill with standard drugs. Ironically, these same pumps could be the bugs' Achilles heel.

28 May 2010

New data on Cimzia for Crohn’s Disease treatment to be demonstrated at DDW 2010

Studies and analyses of the Crohn’s Disease (CD) treatment Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol) demonstrating new data will be exhibited at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2010, taking place in New Orleans from May 1-5, 2010.

30 Apr 2010

FDA: Outbreak of campylobacteriosis linked to drinking raw milk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with several state agencies, is alerting consumers to an outbreak of campylobacteriosis associated with drinking raw milk. At least 12 confirmed illnesses have been recently reported in Michigan. Symptoms of campylobacteriosis include diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever.

27 Mar 2010

iGPS urges the U.S. Senate to mandate latest tracking technology in legislation to prevent foodborne illnesses

Cost-effective technology that allows products to be traced through the U.S. supply chain might have helped contain the spread of hydrolyzed vegetable protein products contaminated with Salmonella, Intelligent Global Pooling Systems announced today. iGPS urged the U.S. Senate to mandate the latest tracking technology in legislation pending to overhaul the nation's food safety law.

15 Mar 2010

Threat of food supply contamination: National sanitary standards on pallet industry needed

The need to set national sanitary standards on the pallet industry to curb the threat of contamination to the U.S. food supply was drawn into sharp relief by a just-issued report by the Produce Safety Project showing acute foodborne illness costs the nation $152 billion annually in healthcare, workplace and other economic losses.

6 Mar 2010

New scientific data reveals wood pallets present dangerous risks to our foods and medicines

Coming on the heels of the sweeping Tylenol recall, new scientific data from independent tests reveal more about the hidden dangers of wood pallets and the threat they pose to the foods we eat and the medications we rely on every day.

28 Jan 2010

Health risks of wooden pallet shipping platforms, call for Congress and FDA regulation

The expanded recall of TYLENOL Arthritis pain reliever is fresh evidence of the need for Congress and the FDA to regulate wood pallets used to transport food and pharmaceuticals in the United States because of the dangers they pose to human health.

4 Jan 2010

Wood pallet: A source of food poisoning bacteria

In a random sampling of wood pallets used to ship food in Portland, ME, and Philadelphia, PA, numerous pallets tested positive for Listeria and abnormally high counts of bacteria that could potentially create health hazards for consumers.

17 Dec 2009

Study provides new insight into the mechanism of bacterial invasion protein

Spoiled meat is one of the sources for Listeria infections leading to listeriosis. Pregnant women, newborns and immune compromised people are susceptible for a severe progression of this disease. Firstly, the pathogen breaches the intestinal barrier and thus enters the body. The key for further spreading is the invasion protein internalin B that is located on the bacterial surface.

30 Nov 2009

Exposure to deadly bacteria can result in stillbirths

A new study shows the risk for severe effects of exposure to Listeria monocytogenes among susceptible populations may occur at doses lower than suggested by previous studies.

13 Nov 2009

New data from CIMZIA WELCOME trial to be presented at the ACG meeting

According to new results from the WELCOME trial, exploratory data analyzing the impact of treatment with CIMZIA(®) (certolizumab pegol) - the only PEGylated anti-TNF (alpha) (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) - administered either every two weeks or every four weeks, showed that the majority of Crohn's disease patients in both dosing groups experienced no hospitalizations and surgical procedures during the course of the 26-week study.

28 Oct 2009