American researchers say farmers should wait one day after a rain storm or watering their fields to harvest fresh fruits and vegetables.They say gathering the crops at least 24 hours after rainfall increases food safety.They say it also may be enough to protect those eating from fresh produce from food borne illnesses.Listeria is a food borne bacteria. It grows best in wet conditions. Poisoning with Listeria monocytogenes can cause muscle pain.Listeria can be a serious health threat for pregnant women and older adults.It can also threaten people with weak immune systems, like those with HIV, the virus responsible for the disease AIDS.The bacterium is everywhere in the environment, but usually grows in water.So, crops that are harvested shortly after they have been watered are likely to contain unsafe levels of disease-causing Listeria.
