Patent ID: 7858595

Claim:
A method for treating an infection caused by Listeria bacteria in a patient, comprising: administering to said patient in need thereof a composition comprising an effective amount of isolated neutral straight-chain or branched oligosaccharides of a base unit of formula I: and 0 to 19 further units linked thereto having a formula of formula II: wherein Gal represents a galactose monosaccharide unit, Glc represents a glucose monosaccharide unit, HexNAc represents an N-acetylated galactosamine monosaccharide or glucosamine monosaccharide unit (GalNAc or GlcNAc), R is present or not present, and independently a β1-3 or β1-6 glycosidic bond to the HexNAc monosaccharide unit of the next [Gal-HexNAc] unit of formula II, and at a terminal [Gal-HexNAc] unit, a first deoxyhexose residue linked to the galactose monosaccharide unit of said terminal [Gal-HexNAc] unit, and a terminal [Gal-HexNAc] unit, wherein R is a first deoxyhexose residue, and wherein the HexNAc monosaccharide unit optionally has a second deoxyhexose residue, and wherein the patient is pregnant, debilitated, sick, elderly, or an infant.