New Theory About Whittier Listeria Contamination
Massachusetts state health officials think they may have pieced together the evidence to explain how milk produced at Whittier Farms became contaminated with a lethal strain of Listeria. The outbreak has already led to the death of three elderly men and a miscarriage.
Samples taken from the Whittier Farms plant showed that the strain of Listeria found in the five victims was identical to a strain found on the floor of the plant and in equipment used after pasteurization. The same strain was also found in seven unopened containers of milk that were on shelves at the retail store next to the plant. Different strains were also found in the plant, but had no relation to the reported illnesses.
According to the Boston Globe,
State investigators said they were unsure how listeria made its way inside the Whittier plant, which had received good marks in earlier inspection reports. Perhaps workers carried it on their clothing or shoes from elsewhere on the farm, said Suzanne Condon, the top environmental health official at the state Department of Public Health. Another possibility: Spray hoses used for cleaning might have disseminated the germ.
Although it is not known how the events of Listeria entering the plant and then contaminating pasteurized milk occurred, this new evidence gives officials the best idea of what exactly happened at Whittier Farms. The diary is still under intense investigation until all the pieces of the puzzle are able to be put together.