Listeria are bacteria often found in soil and water, which can cause serious illness.
Illness from eating foods with Listeria is called listeriosis. The symptoms of listeriosis include fever and chills, and possibly nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea. Symptoms of listeriosis can also include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck and convulsions. Listeriosis is not very common in healthy people, but it is always a possibility when foods are mishandled. Everyone should be concerned about foodborne illness and preventing it.