Colorado Listeria Death Linked to Cantaloupe Outbreak
Two elderly Mesa County residents have been stricken with listeriosis, one of them has died, another remains hospitalized.
Neither of the cases has been linked to the multi-state cantaloupe listeria outbreak. Since mid-August, the outbreak has sickened 55 people in 14 states, eight of whom have died, according to a September 21 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Earlier this month, health officials identified Rocky Ford cantaloupes from Jensen Farms of Holly, Colo., as the likely source of the outbreak. On September 14, Jensen Farms issued a voluntary recall of its Rocky Ford cantaloupe because of potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis.
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. Antibiotics given promptly can cure the illness and prevent infection of a fetus. However, even with prompt treatment, some Listeria infections result in death.
Symptoms of listeriosis can take as long as 70 day to appear after contaminated food is ingested. They 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.
If you have legal questions about and illness, hospitalization or death associated with this outbreak, contact a listeria attorney at PritzkerOlsen for a free consultation.
Source: http://health.mesacounty.us/comm/news/2011/2011-09-22-1.pdf
