During her current pregnancy, Loraine has been extra careful to avoid foods that could potentially cause food-borne illness. Even though she loves Greek salad, at lunch today she had to order something else because the waiter could not confirm whether or not the feta cheese on the salad was pasteurized. Why should pregnant women avoid unpasteurized cheeses?

Question

Multiple Choice
Unpasteurized cheese can contain prions that can cross the placental barrier and cause foot-and-mouth disease and spontaneous abortion or stillbirth.
Unpasteurized cheese can contain Salmonella bacteria that can cross the placental barrier and cause Salmonella infection and spontaneous abortion or stillbirth.
Unpasteurized cheese can contain Listeria monocytogenes that can cross the placental barrier and cause listeriosis and spontaneous abortion or stillbirth.
Unpasteurized cheese can contain botulism spores that can cross the placental barrier and can cause botulism and spontaneous abortion or stillbirth.

Answer 1

Pregnant women should avoid unpasteurized cheeses because they can contain Listeria monocytogenes that can cross the placental barrier and cause listeriosis and spontaneous abortion or stillbirth.

So the correct answer is:

Unpasteurized cheese can contain Listeria monocytogenes that can cross the placental barrier and cause listeriosis and spontaneous abortion or stillbirth.