What you need to know about the food-borne bacteria that can make you sick
Listeria itself is not a disease; it's a bacteria: listeria monocytogenes.BSIP / UIG via Getty Images
Every few months — sometimes even weeks — it seems there's another one: a wide-ranging product recall based on concerns of listeria contamination. This week, Panera Bread announced it would recall cream cheese products sold in its U.S. cafes over possible listeria contamination. But what exactly is listeria? How does it breed and why are outbreaks so deadly?

After talking with a handful of experts, I've learned that this is one tricky food-borne pathogen. Which brings us to lesson number one, listeria itself is not a disease; it's a bacteria: listeria monocytogenes. “It's important to understand that listeria itself is not a medical disease — but can cause a disease process," says Dr. Runjhun Misra, DO, an internal medicine specialist in Oakland, CA. "When it leads to infection, that is called listeriosis."And you can get it when you eat something that has been contaminated with the bacteria.
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