Listeriosis in Austria--report of an outbreak in 1986.

In 1986 Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from various specimens of 28 patients in Austria: 24 were newborn infants, 4 patients were adults (25-73 years). All four adult patients and five of 20 mothers had consumed unpasteurized milk. Nine of 20 mothers and two of four adult patients had received vegetables from biologic agriculture. The consumption of raw milk and biologically grown vegetables as possible source of infection cannot be dismissed. The fatality rate (5 of 28) was remarkably low; in our experience there was no difference in the therapeutic outcome between the use of a combination of ampicillin or penicillin with an aminoglycoside or of amplicillin alone; all were effective.