Cantaloupe Outbreak Spreads Through Southwest
A cantaloupe outbreak of listeriosis that began in Colorado is spreading through the southwest. Sixteen people have confirmed cases of listeriosis after eating Rocky Ford cantaloupe. There is one confirmed death and 3 additional suspected deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that illnesses from the outbreak include: Colorado (11), Texas (2), Nebraska (1), Indiana (1) and Oklahoma (1). Testing is still pending in other states including New Mexico, where three people died and six others were sickened by listeriosis after eating cantaloupe. (Updated September 14, 2011.)
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Listeriosis is a serious, sometimes fatal infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The disease primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns.
Symptoms include fever and muscle aches, often preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In more severe cases, there can also be headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, according to the CDC. Pregnant women typically experience only mild, flu-like symptoms. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
The cantaloupe outbreak of listeriosis began on or after August 15, 2011. The victims range in age from 38 to 96, but most have been women over the age of 60. All of them required hospitalization.
Illnesses that occurred after August 26, 2011, might not be reported yet due to the lag between the time a person becomes ill and the time the illness is reported. Furthermore, there may be others who ate the tainted melon who are not showing symptoms yet. In some cases, the incubation period for listeriosis can be as long as 70 days, but symptoms usually appear within a month.
There has not been a nationwide cantaloupe recall, but Albuquerque has recalled all cantaloupe from the Rocky Ford cantaloupe grown in Colorado.
Listeria attorneys at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., have launched an investigation into this cantaloupe outbreak. For a free consultation regarding a cantaloupe lawsuit, submit our free consultation form or call them toll free at 1(888)377-8900.
