Listeria monocytogenes infection and serotype distribution among HIV-infected persons in Los Angeles County, 1985-1992.

Persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at greater risk of infection with Listeria monocytogenes (LM) than the general population. We quantify the risk of listeriosis in persons with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and HIV infection in Los Angeles County (LAC) and report the LM serotype distribution among HIV-infected patients with listeriosis. Active surveillance for listeriosis was performed in LAC during most of the period from 1985 through 1992. Thirty-four (10%) of 351 nonperinatal cases of listeriosis reported in LAC from 1985 through 1992 were in HIV-infected persons, 25 of whom met the 1987 AIDS case definition. The incidence of listeriosis was 95.8 and 8.8 cases per 100,000 person-years among persons with AIDS and all HIV-infected persons, respectively, but only 1.0 case per 100,000 person-years in the total population. Excluding cases from a 1985 listeriosis epidemic associated with consumption of contaminated Mexican-style cheese, 11 (65%) of 17 HIV-infected persons with available isolates were infected with LM serotype 1/2b, whereas only 64 (31%) of 208 other persons with listeriosis and available isolates were infected with LM serotype 1/2b (odds ratio = 4.1; 95% confidence interval = 1.3-14.1). LM serogroup 1/2b may have been more common among HIV-infected persons in LAC than among other persons with listeriosis because of differences in diet or sexual practices, or to chance alone. Persons with HIV-infection, especially those with AIDS, should be educated in avoiding foods at high risk of listerial contamination, such as soft cheeses, foods sold from delicatessen counters, and undercooked chicken.