Mother who contracted listeria from pre-cut rockmelon delivers third child

When Amelia Liddy-Sudbury fell pregnant with her third child, Theodore, she knew to avoid soft cheeses, cured meats and fish.

But rockmelon had never crossed her mind.

At 33 weeks and after eating pre-cut rockmelon, she was diagnosed with listeria.

Her doctors had prepared her for the worst.

"For the first few days, I don't really remember much. But I do remember my obstetrician coming in and telling me it was listeria... And he just looked stressed, and sad and worried," Ms Liddy-Sudbury told 9NEWS.

Listeria is a type of bacteria that can spread through a range of foods, including raw meat, soft cheeses, pre-packaged and unwashed fruit and vegetables.

For most of us, it's not a problem.

But for pregnant women, the elderly and anyone with a weakened immune system, it can be fatal.

Ms Liddy-Sudbury knows little Theodore was incredibly lucky - being delivered at 35 weeks.

"It didn't manage to get to my brain luckily, but after Teddy was born, they did a biopsy of the placenta and there were listeria abscesses through it - so we know it got that far," she said.

Four people have died, and 17 cases have been linked to this latest outbreak, which has been traced to rockmelons from a farm in the NSW Riverina.

All affected rockmelons have since been removed from store shelves.

Although serious bacteria outbreaks are generally rare, Ben Lees from the NSW Food Authority said it serves as a reminder about healthy food standards in the kitchen.

"Bacteria often comes out of the dirt, but it can also be transferred onto it during the processing period - when it's being stacked up and processed," Mr Lees said.

"Even though all precautions are made, it's best to wash your own when you get home, and avoid cut fruit if you are vulnerable."

Reheating cooked rice can be particularly hazardous, if not stored properly in the fridge or kept for too long.

"Rice has that mixture of protein and starch that's just an absolutely perfect breeding ground for bacteria," Mr Lees said.

Salmonella can be a risk when cooking with raw eggs, especially in homemade aioli and mayonnaise.

Raw chicken should always be prepared on a clean chopping board, separate to vegetables.

"You should never wash your raw chicken, always just get it straight out of the packet and cook it straight away," he said.

"It can be incredibly dangerous to wash chicken to get rid of bacteria, because you are just spreading the bacteria around your kitchen."

Plastic chopping boards are recommended over glass and wood, as they wear better and can be put in the dishwasher.

Wooden chopping boards should be replaced once they begin to warp and crack, as bacteria can be more difficult to remove from those areas.

Tea towels should be replaced regularly, and washed as often as possible, while cleaning sponges should also be replaced at least once a month - or when they begin to degrade.

And always remember to wash your hands.