How common is Listeria??

[lynne2809]

Hi everyone! I recently saw that there was a large recall of packaged lettuces due to possible infection with Listeria. My family did not have any of those specific brands in our home, but it got me thinking about listeria in rabbits. If I were to have lettuce or other vegetables in my home with Listeria and I touched them and ate them, what are the chances that my rabbit would be infected? I tried to look online but I didn’t see many cases of pet rabbits actually coming down with a case of Listeria. Would washing my hands with soap and warm water kill any potential Listeria on my hands before I touch my bunny? Is this something that I should actually be concerned about? Thanks in advance!!

 

[JBun]

It can make rabbits very sick, but it's more likely this would happen if your rabbit was the one to consume the contaminated lettuce.

The lack of reported cases doesnt' mean rabbits don't get sick with this often. It just means that it's not officially diagnosed and reported very often. This could easily be mistaken for e. cuniculi, which is a more common rabbit illness.

 

[lynne2809]

It can make rabbits very sick, but it's more likely this would happen if your rabbit was the one to consume the contaminated lettuce.

The lack of reported cases doesnt' mean rabbits don't get sick with this often. It just means that it's not officially diagnosed and reported very often. This could easily be mistaken for e. cuniculi, which is a more common rabbit illness.

So is the best way to prevent bunnies from being infected with Listeria just to wash hands before interacting with them? What if a person that had a pet rabbit had Listeria? Would it just be recommended that they wash their hands?