TOPLINE

Incidence of invasive listeriosis in the US remained stable from 2008 to 2023 despite population aging, with rates disproportionately higher among pregnant women, adults aged 65 years or older, and certain racial and ethnic groups.

METHODOLOGY

• Researchers analyzed surveillance data (FoodNet) covering 10 US sites from 2008 through 2023 to estimate incidence and trends of invasive listeriosis.
• They identified cases of sporadic invasive listeriosis, excluding outbreak-associated and travel-related cases.
• Assessments included incidence trends overall and stratified by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and pregnancy status.
• The study population represented approximately 16% of the US population.

TAKEAWAY

• Overall incidence of listeriosis remained stable at 0.25 cases per 100,000 person-years for 2020-2023, with no significant trend over the study period.
• Pregnant women had a 64.1-fold higher incidence of listeriosis than non-pregnant women aged 15-44 years (rate ratio, 64.1; 95% CI, 47.3-86.9).
• Incidence of listeriosis increased with age, and most non-pregnancy cases occurred in people aged ≥ 65 years.
• Hispanic, non-Hispanic Asian, and non-Hispanic Black populations had higher incidence than non-Hispanic White populations.

IN PRACTICE

"Targeted prevention for disproportionately affected subpopulations, alongside continued efforts to reduce exposure broadly, is needed to further reduce the risk of invasive listeriosis," the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE

The study was led by Régis Pouillot, Cognizance Tech in Leesburg, Virginia. It was published online on July 30 in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

LIMITATIONS

The surveillance data may not have been fully representative. The number of listeriosis cases was relatively small, particularly in some subpopulations. The projections did not account for possible changes in population risk.

DISCLOSURES

The study was supported by the US Food and Drug Administration. The authors reported no relevant conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.