The recent hospitalization of an Indianapolis resident who became ill after consuming unpasteurized cheese purchased from a person selling food door-to-door has local health officials warning the public about the risks of making such purchases.
The individual sickened was diagnosed with Listeria, a disease that can be extremely harmful to the very young, the very old, women who are pregnant and those who have compromised immune symptoms. “This is a serious health issue because it can escalate quickly,” said Crystal Jones, M.D., medical director for acute disease at the Marion County Health Department. Listeria can be tricky to detect and can lead to fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea or upset stomach. The infection can spread to the nervous system and can cause headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions.
A woman who is pregnant may have no symptoms at all and unknowingly pass the Listeria to the unborn child. The disease can impact the pregnancy through miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, low birth weight and other health concerns. For pregnant women, the key is to avoid eating cheeses and other foods made from unpasteurized milk. “The average incubation period for Listeria is three weeks, but it can take between 3 and 70 days after consuming the impacted food before symptoms might appear,” said Dr. Jones.
The Marion County Health Department says local residents should be extremely cautious when making purchases of food from those selling door-to-door. “This activity is generally conducted by businesses who are licensed and inspected by the health department,” said Staci Small, food safety health educator for the Marion County Health Department. Small says consumers should ask to see a business name and address and a license number from the health department. The products themselves should be labeled with the manufacturer’s name and address and there should be ingredient information on the product. The absence of this information should be a warning sign to not purchase the product. “If the seller cannot produce this information, the consumer should not make any purchases and contact the health department,” said Small.
Anyone having questions about door-to-door food sales should contact the Marion County Health Department at 221-2222