Listeriosis

Statutory notification

• Listeriosis is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Alert: Cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the local public health unit within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
• Case definition: See Listeriosis (external site) national surveillance case definition.
• Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 209KB) or regional residents (PDF 208KB).
• For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• Infectious agent: Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.
• Transmission: Nearly all cases of human listeriosis result from the consumption of L. monocytogenes contaminated food or vertical transmission during pregnancy.
• Incubation period: Up to 70 days (usually 2-3 weeks).
• Infectious period: Horizontal person-to-person transmission generally does not occur.
• Case exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Contact exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Treatment: Antibiotic treatment as recommended by the doctor for invasive cases.
• Immunisation: None available.
• Case follow-up: Cases followed up the Communicable Disease Control Directorate with assistance from the public health units (Healthy WA).

Guidelines for public health units

• Public health management of notifiable enteric diseases (PDF 387KB) guideline
• Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts 
  
• Communicable Disease Guidelines, for teachers, child care workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners
• Guidelines for the Management of Gastroenteritis Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities
• Listeriosis, CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site)

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports