New findings on listeriosis.
Sometime back, I wrote an entry about foods that potentially contain listeria, which is dangerous in pregnancy. Now scientists think they have the answer to why pregnant women are more likely to get listeriosis, which is an infection caused by listeria.
“The reason the mother is more susceptible is not necessarily because her immune system is compromised, but because the bacteria that got into her placenta are infecting her,” said Anna Bakardjiev, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral researcher with Daniel Portnoy, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at UC Berkeley. “The miscarriages that result from these infections may be a natural defense mechanism to dispel this source of infection.”
According to the study, the placenta acts as a “protective niche” for the growth of the pathogens, thus causing the body to miscarry the foetus as a defense mechanism to expel the infected placenta.
Makes you want to think twice about those foods now, doesn’t it?
Tags: bacteria, infection, listeria, listeriosis, miscarriage, PregnancyRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Healthy choices
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