Merchant Law Group announced that it is filing class proceedings lawsuits concerning the listeria outbreak which is now linked to 12 deaths and various cases of serious illness by people who have ingested contaminated meat and other products.

Symptoms of listeriosis can include nausea, vomiting, cramps and fever.  Maple Leaf Foods has recalled dozens of brands of packaged meat products.

Listeriosis, a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The disease affects primarily persons of advanced age, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. However, persons without these risk factors can also rarely be affected.

How does Listeria get into food?

Listeria monocytogenes is found in soil and water. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer.

Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill and can contaminate foods of animal origin such as meats and dairy products. The bacterium has been found in a variety of raw foods, such as uncooked meats and vegetables, as well as in processed foods that become contaminated after processing, such as soft cheeses and cold cuts at the deli counter. Unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk may contain the bacterium.

Listeria is killed by pasteurization and cooking; however, in certain ready-to-eat foods such as hot dogs and deli meats, contamination may occur after cooking but before packaging.