Four pregnant women affected by listeria in VEGAN cheese… causing premature labor and one case of brain damage

At least six pregnant women suffered a fatal infection after eating vegan cheese contaminated with listeria, scientists say – while another person suffered brain damage.

Four of the women went into preterm labor, a fifth became septic and an infection in a sixth expectant mother spread to her unborn child and caused encephalitis.

Researchers in France have revealed the outbreak and warned that alternative vegan products may not be safer than dairy products.

Lactose-free products are often considered safer and healthier because they do not contain dairy, which can be contaminated with dangerous bacteria and microbes.

But the researchers cautioned that the products had not undergone similar processes pasteurizationwhich would normally kill all dangerous microbes.

Listeria outbreaks per year in the US, as shown in this graph from the CDC

The cases were revealed in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine.

The scientists from the French Institut Pasteur wrote: ‘This outbreak highlights the lack of data on the contamination of (vegan) products by foodborne pathogens, and the need for manufacturers of vegan cheese substitutes to consider this risk in their production processes, just like any other ready-made product.’

Researchers eventually traced the listeria to the vegan cheese brand Jay and Joy – which is not available in the US. The cheeses were sold in 1,900 stores throughout the country.

Cases were also discovered in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands – with a pan-European warning about the contamination.

This is believed to be the first time vegan cheeses have been linked to listeria, with researchers saying this may be because the products used raw nut milk.

Nuts can become contaminated with listeria in fields if exposed to water mixed with animal feces.

During the manufacturing process, the nuts are not pasteurized like traditional dairy products – which researchers say left room for listeria to survive and infect humans.

Outbreaks of listeria are often reported in association with dairy products, including cheeses, where they are likely to become contaminated after coming into contact with surfaces contaminated with listeria.

As recently as February of this year, the CDC warned of an outbreak of listeria in cheese sold at Whole Foods — finding that two Americans had died and 23 people had been hospitalized in 11 states.

In the US, the FDA has not yet detected outbreaks of listeria linked to vegan foods, including foods that use nuts.

But it has previously detected outbreaks of the bacteria salmonella linked to cashews or cashew-based products.

Salmonella can also be spread by nuts if they are exposed to water contaminated with animal feces.

Most people exposed to listeria suffer a mild illness with symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and vomiting, which resolves within five days.

But those who are more at risk, including the elderly and pregnant women, may develop a more serious illness called listeriosis because of their weakened immune systems.

This infection is rare but very serious: About 20 to 30 percent of patients die from the disease, according to the CDC. More than 90 percent of infected patients are admitted to hospital.

The outbreak in Europe was linked to Jay and Joy’s vegan cheese, pictured above

Complications of the infection include meningitis – or inflammation of the brain – and sepsis – a potentially fatal overreaction of the immune system – if the bacteria enter the blood.

About 1,600 Americans become ill from listeria each year, while about 260 patients do not survive their infection.

The outbreak in France affected a total of eight people – including a three-year-old child – and was reported between April and December 2022.

Four of the pregnant women gave birth at 32 weeks, eight weeks before what is considered a full-term pregnancy of 40 weeks.

No deaths have been recorded as a result of the outbreak.

Cases are often linked to eating improperly processed meats or unpasteurized dairy products – rather than vegan cheeses.

Listeria on this meat can survive acid in the stomach and infect the intestines, causing a disease called listeriosis.