Listeria is a serious form of food poisoning caused by bacteria in food. You can also refer to the bacteria itself as listeria.
My baby was born with listeria.
Tests showed it was contaminated by listeria and other bacteria.
listeria in British English
(lɪsˈtɪərɪə)
noun
any rodlike Gram-positive bacterium of the genus Listeria, esp L. monocytogenes, the cause of listeriosis
Derived forms
listerial (lisˈterial)
adjective
Word origin
C20: named after Joseph Lister
listeria in American English
(lɪsˈtɪriə)
noun
any of a genus (Listeria, esp. L. monocytogenes) of small, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria that cause listeriosis, sometimes found in dairy products and raw meat