Which organism is listed third among the top four causes of death from foodborne illness in the United States?

• A. Norovirus
• B. Salmonella
• C. Listeria
• D. Toxoplasma

Answer: (C)

The question asks you to identify which organism ranks third in the number of deaths from foodborne illness in the United States, which means understanding how fatalities stack up across different pathogens rather than just how common the illnesses are. Listeria monocytogenes sits third because, even though it causes fewer illnesses than many others, it has a relatively high fatality rate, especially among pregnant individuals, newborns, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

Listeria can cause invasive disease such as meningitis and sepsis, which carries a substantial risk of death. This high case-fatality rate elevates its impact on mortality figures, placing it behind the top two killers (often Toxoplasma gondii and Salmonella) but ahead of other pathogens like Norovirus, which, despite causing many illnesses, results in far fewer deaths per case. So, among the top four foodborne death culprits, Listeria is the third.