National Outbreak Control Team ‘currently investigating’ death of adult due to listeriosis infection
The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been notified of and is investigating the death of an adult with confirmed listeriosis infection.
To ensure medical confidentiality, no further information on this patient can be disclosed.
Nine confirmed cases of listeriosis have been identified as of 22 July 2025
In a statement, the Food Safety Authority (FSAI) said that a voluntary precautionary food recall of ready-to-heat meals is underway due to a link with the outbreak.
The FSAI highlighted that a National Outbreak Control Team is currently investigating an extensive outbreak of listeriosis.
Nine confirmed cases of listeriosis have been identified as of 22 July 2025, it added.
“The National Outbreak Control Team is chaired by the HSE National Health Protection Office and comprises the HSE National Environmental Health Service, the HSE Regional Public Health Services, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the National Salmonella, Shigella and Listeria Reference Laboratory and the National Reference Laboratory of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine,” FSAI said.
The investigation is ongoing, and there is no further comment at this time, FSAI added.
Listeriosis is an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It is usually acquired by eating contaminated food. Listeria is killed by cooking food thoroughly (i.e., until piping hot).
Serious infection with Listeria monocytogenes is very uncommon.
Infection is very rarely diagnosed in healthy children and adults, where it may cause a flu-like illness or diarrhoea.
When serious infection does occur it is almost always in people that are particularly vulnerable to infection.
This includes people with certain existing medical conditions, older people and pregnant women.
In serious infection, Listeria monocytogenes bacteria invade the blood stream (blood stream infection).
The bacteria can also spread from the blood to the central nervous causing meningitis.
Infected pregnant women may have no symptoms or experience only a mild flu-like illness.
However, infection during pregnancy can spread to the infant resulting in very serious infection of the infant.
This can lead to miscarriage or early delivery of a very sick baby.
