Listeria outbreak linked to frozen meals leaves 4 dead and 19 hospitalised
An outbreak of listeria has seen four deaths as well as 19 hospitalisations in the US.
The illness outbreak has been linked to frozen pre-prepared pasta meals, which are on sale at Trader Joe's and Walmart.
The meals have been recalled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has asked for several products to be taken off shelves across multiple states.
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The recall includes 'Marketside linguine with beef meatballs and marinara sauce' sold at Walmart with a 'best if used by' dates of 22, 24, 25, 29 and 30 September 1 October of this year. The recall was first issued in June but has been made public again given the deaths and illness.
The official recall also covers 'Trader Joe's cajun style blackened chicken breast fettucine alfredo' with the 'best if used by dates' of 20, 24 and 27 September. The CDC updated its recall to include the product in late September.
The CDC issued an update on Friday 26 September, as it confirmed the listeria outbreak has led to 20 cases, including 19 hospitalisations and four deaths. The outbreak also spans across 15 states.
The urgent recall from the CDC also made it clear that whilst the products wouldn't be on sale anymore, they also could be in people's fridges or freezers at home if they were purchased recently. The advice is for recalled products to be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Listeria is particularly harmful to pregnant women and people who are 65 or older, or those who have weakened immune systems. Listeria also has the possibility that it can spread from the gut to other parts of their body, resulting in a severe condition known as invasive listeriosis.
For pregnant women, listeria has been linked to pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in newborns. For those older or with weakened immunity, contracting listeria can result in hospitalisation and sometimes death.
Symptoms of listeria infection
Symptoms of listeria can start within two weeks of eating contaminated food, but can start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after. Notable symptoms include headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, as well as fever, muscle aches, and tiredness.
Medical advice is needed, so call a healthcare provider right away if you have these symptoms after eating the affected foods.
If you think you may have contaminated food or have come into contact with listeria, then it goes without saying not to eat the food that is potentially affected. It's also advised to clean your refrigerator, containers, and surfaces that may have touched it, as listeria can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.
Niamh Spence