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Cancer associated with increased risk for gastrointestinal infection
Mook P. Emerg Infect Dis. 2010;doi:10.3201/eid1701.101174.
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New findings from England and Wales indicate that various underlying conditions, including cancer, diabetes, alcoholism and noninfective enteritis and colitis, are associated with an increased risk for serious infection with Listeria monocytogenes.
According to the researchers, malignancies were associated with more than one-third of L. monocytogene cases, and patients with cancer had a fivefold increased risk for infection. The researchers recommend for physicians to consider diagnosis for L. monocytogenes when treating patients who have concurrent conditions.
For the study, all nonpregnancy-associated L. monocytogene cases reported to the national surveillance system in England between 1999 and 2009 were examined. Cases were then compared with hospital inpatient data to determine incidence rates per million consultations.
In total, 9.1 cases of L. monocytogenes per million completed consultant data were reported during the study period (95% CI, 8.6-9.6). Between April 1, 1999, and March 31, 2009, 1,239 concurrent conditions were reported by 1,413 nonpregnancy-associated L. monocytogenes cases. Of those who reported one or more underlying condition, 2.2% were identified as part of a common source outbreak.
An increased risk for L. monocytogenes was found to be associated with malignancies, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes and alcoholism. The risk for infection was highest among patients older than 60 years.
“Providing food safety information to cancer patients might help limit additional cases,” the researchers wrote. “With these caveats in mind, our findings have implications for clinical practice and food-safety policymakers. The number and diversity of conditions that appear to increase the risk for L. monocytogenes imply that physicians working in all specialties should consider L. monocytogenes when treating patients with concurrent conditions and provide appropriate food-safety advice.”
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