Listeriosis: symptoms of listeria infection - what is cause of Cadbury recall and risks during pregnancy?

Confectionery manufacturer Müller has recalled several Cadbury's dessert products over fears of a listeria outbreak.

The company has recalled Cadbury dessert pots, including Flake and Dairy Milk Buttons flavours, after it was found that batches of the products possibly contained traces of the harmful bacteria.

The products affected include Cadbury Daim Chocolate Dessert, Cadbury Crunchie Chocolate Dessert, Cadbury Flake Chocolate Dessert, Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons Chocolate Dessert, Cadbury Dairy Milk Chunks Chocolate Dessert, Cadbury Heroes Chocolate Dessert. The batches which have been recalled are the Flake and Crunchie desserts with the use-by date of 17 May, while the other dessert pots recalled had the use-by date of 18 May.

The company said that the infection was an isolated incident, with the recall introduced as a precautionary measure. In a statement, Müller said: "Müller produces these products under licence from Mondelez International and has stressed that this does not impact any other products it produces in the UK or other markets."

But what exactly is listeriosis - and what are the symptoms of infection? Here's everything you need to know.

What is listeriosis?

Listeriosis is an infection caused by the bacteria listeria. It is a rare infection, with 0.21 cases reported per 100,000 people in England and Wales.

It is mainly caught by eating chilled foods which contain the listeria bacteria. It can be found in found such as certain blue-veined and mould-aged cheeses, pate, unpasteurised milk and products made from unpasteurised milk and cold meat, however the likelihood of these products containing the bacteria remains low.

The illness may also be caught if you have come into contact with someone else who has contracted the infection, or via close contact with farm animals such as sheep or cows who are giving birth.

What are the symptoms of listeriosis?

If infected by listeria, the infection can manifest itself in several different ways. Symptoms may appear a few days after you come into contact with the bacteria, but it can take up to 30 days for signs of infection to show.

The most common symptoms include:

While most cases are mild with symptoms passing in the matter of a few days, there are some factors which may put certain groups at greater risk of a serious infection. This includes people over the age of 65, people with weakened immune systems, and particularly, those who are pregnant.

What are the risks of listeriosis during pregnancy?

For those who are pregnant, the listeriosis infection can become very serious.

While the actual symptoms may not present themselves strongly, the infection can have a huge impact on the wellbeing of the unborn child. The bacterial infection can, in some cases, cause miscarriage or stillbirths.

Newborns are also at a higher risk of serious infection. Early symptoms of a newborn being infected with listeria matches much of the symptoms listed above, but your child may also display a lack of interest in feeding or a difficulty in breathing.