Cantaloupe Outbreak Consistent With Study, One Fifth of Americans At Increased Risk of Contracting Foodborne Illness
Between 15 and 20 percent of the U.S. population falls into a group considered to be at increased risk of contracting foodborne illness, according to a paper by British researchers Barbara M. Lund and Sarah J. O'Brien published in the journal Foodborne Pathogens and Disease.
This group includes: pregnant women, infants, the elderly, diabetics, and those with compromised immune systems, excessive iron in their blood or kidney and liver disease, according to the paper. Malnutrition and the use of antacids can also increase susceptibility.
The cantaloupe listeria outbreak is consistent with those findings. So far, 109 people in 23 states have been stricken with listeriosis linked to Rocky Ford cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in Holly, Colo., according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Twenty-one deaths from listeriosis have been reported: 5 in Colorado, 1 in Indiana, 2 in Kansas, 1 in Maryland, 1 in Missouri, 1 in Nebraska, 5 in New Mexico, 1 in New York, 1 in Oklahoma, 2 in Texas, and 1 in Wyoming. In addition, one woman pregnant at the time of illness had a miscarriage.
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Most of the victims of this outbreak are over 60, the median age 77. Three of the victims were pregnant women, and one miscarriage has been reported. The outcome of the other two pregnancies is being monitored, according to the CDC.
Both the CDC and the researchers of the paper recommend that the diets for vulnerable people should exclude higher-risk foods.
Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/cantaloupes-jensen-farms/100711/index.html
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2011.0860
