29 cases of listeriosis have been confirmed in Canada plus 31 suspected cases caused by an outbreak from contaminated meat. A local meat processing plant in Toronto has been blamed. Surely lawsuits have been pouring in after the plant was shut down & a massive recall of the meat products was done with an estimated price toll of 20 million dollars.

Listeria monocytogenes, a gram positive bacterium, penetrates the gastrointestinal epithelium & is engulfed by the host’s leukocytes. Its pathogenesis lays in the ability of the bacterium to grow and multiply within the host’s phagocytic cells. It is considered an important hazard in food industry.

Source: The Vancouver Sun