Listeria Infection Rises to 72 and Killed 13 in the US
Listeria outbreak already claimed 13 lives in the US.
Listeria is believed to have originated from tainted cantaloupe which was grown at Jensen Farms Inc in Holly, Colorado according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The death toll from Listeria outbreak rose from 4 last week to 13, and 72 people have been infected with the bacteria in 18 states, including two pregnant women, making it the deadliest in the decade.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that it found listeria monocytogenes on samples taken from equipment and cantaloupe at Jensen Farms’ packing facility and in samples of its Rocky Ford brand cantaloupe taken from a Denver-area store.
According a statement by FDA, the cantaloupes were shipped between July 29 and September 10 to at least 17 states, thereby advising consumers not to eat the recalled cantaloupes and to throw them away.
Unlike E. coli and salmonella, two common causes of foodborne disease, listeria bacteria can cause illness as long as two months after a person has consumed contaminated food, making these outbreaks extremely annoying.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said listeria cases are most likely to rise this October.
Here are more info about Listeria according to the Wikipedia:
Listeria is a bacterial genus containing six species. Named after the English pioneer of sterile surgery Joseph Lister, the genus was given its current name in 1940. Listeria species are Gram-positive bacilli and are typified by L. monocytogenes, the causative agent of listeriosis.
Listeria monocytogenes is commonly found in soil, stream water, sewage, plants, and food. Listeria are known to be responsible for listeriosis, a rare but potentially lethal food-borne infection. The case fatality rate for those with a severe form of infection may approach 25%.
The majority of Listeria bacteria are targeted by the immune system before they are able to cause infection. Those that escape the immune system’s initial response, however, spread through intracellular mechanisms and are, therefore, guarded against circulating immune factors.
Risk and Listeria
Listeria can affect some more seriously than others. Those that are pregnant or older are affected more by it, as well as those with a weak or compromised immune system such as those with AIDS or cancer. Pregnant women are also prone to passing the listeriosis to their child in utero.
Some things that are helpful to reduce risk are to clean your refrigerator often and keep it at 40 degrees or cooler in temperature. Also eat any precooked foods as soon as you can and don’t eat them cold; always reheat to the proper temperature.
Listeriosis
The condition listeriosis is a foodborne bacteria illness from the germ listeria. It has the signs and symptoms of producing a fever, headache, vomiting, stomach upset, and chills. The person can get sick and start having symptoms as little as two days from eating the food, or as long as a month afterwards. These symptoms should be looked at by a physician if you suspect listeriosis is the cause. If you are pregnant and contract listeriosis you may go into early labor if it spreads to your child.
Listeria – Foods to avoid
Some foods are more prone to listeria than others. Things that are well to be avoided if you are prone to getting foodborne bacteria illnesses are:
- Soft cheese like brie and asadero (hard cheese is fine)
- Smoked seafood from the package (canned seafood is fine)
- Meat spreads that are not canned (canned meats are fine)
- Raw milk products (pasteurized milk and its products are fine)
All of these do not have a heated or pasteurization process designed to kill any germs or bacteria that could be there.
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