A Kaohsiung doctor on Monday warned of the potential risks of frequently eating raw or cold food after treating a 60-year-old man who contracted meningitis.
The man — a security guard who frequently ate raw or cold food — sought medical assistance for a fever, Kaohsiung Jianren Hospital deputy director Wang Yao-hsien (王堯顯) said, adding that the patient had a temperature of 39°C.
The man was put on antibiotics for five days, but the fever persisted, Wang said.
Blood tests showed that the man had contracted listeriosis, a rare and serious condition that can be caused by eating food contaminated with the pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, he said.
As the man was in a muddled state of mind, had a stiff neck and was walking unsteadily, doctors grew concerned the listeriosis had led to meningitis — acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
Tests on fluid extracted from the man’s spinal cord confirmed that he had contracted meningitis and doctors adjusted his medication, Wang said.
After 25 days in hospital the man fully recovered and was discharged, he said.
Listeriosis is a contagious disease with a mortality rate of 30 to 35 percent, he said.
The disease is normally spread through contaminated food such as salad, processed meats and milk products such as cheese and butter, as well as milk, including in ice cream, that has not been pasteurized, Wang said.
Elderly people and those with a weak immune system, such as pregnant women and newborns, are a particularly high-risk group for listeriosis, he said.
Symptoms include a high fever, a stiff neck, loss of awareness, loss of balance and muscle spasms, and in severe cases the disease can lead to sepsis — excessive bacteria in the blood — or meningitis, he said.
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