Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak One of the Deadliest In U.S. History
The cantaloupe Listeria outbreak that has killed 29 people and caused one miscarriage is one of deadliest in U.S. history, putting it in the grim company of the 1985 Mexican-style soft cheese Listeria outbreak that killed 28 and caused 20 miscarriages; the 1924 oyster typhoid outbreak that killed 150 people and sickened 1,500; and the 1911 raw milk Streptococcus outbreak that killed 48 people and sickened more than 2,000.
As of November 1, 139 people in 28 states have contracted listeriosis by eating Rocky Ford cantaloupe produced by Jensen Farms in Colorado, according to the latest update from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. The victims began to fall ill between July 31, 2011 and October 21, 2011.
Among reported cases, almost 60 percent are female. Although they range in age from less than 1 year to 96 years old, the median age is 77 and most are over 60. Virtually all of the patients, 99 percent of those for whom information is available, required hospitalization.
State and local health departments in these and other states are investigating other listeriosis illnesses to determine if they are part of this outbreak. As of November 1, the number of infected persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), California (2), Colorado (39), Idaho (2), Illinois (3), Indiana (3), Iowa (1), Kansas (10), Louisiana (2), Maryland (1), Missouri (6), Montana (1), Nebraska (6), Nevada (1), New Mexico (15), New York (2), North Dakota (2), Oklahoma (11), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Texas (18), Utah (1), Virginia (1), West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (2), and Wyoming (4).
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The incubation period for listeriosis can be as long as two months. If you ate Rocky Ford melon from Jensen Farms and later developed symptoms including fever and muscle aches, preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, contact your health care provider. If you need legal advice about an illness associated with this outbreak, contact the attorneys at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.
