Colorado Listeriosis Outbreak Sickens 4 More
.jpg)
A listeriosis outbreak in Colorado has sickened nine people since the beginning of August. One of them died.
Health officials believe the likely source of the listeriosis outbreak is cantaloupe. (This information was updated on September 9.)
The outbreak has spread to Texas (2 cases), Nebraska (1 case), and through nine Colorado counties including Adams, Arapahoe Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld.
Channel 7 News in Denver interviewed the daughter of one of the victims:
One of those infected with listeria is Shelly Occhipinti-Krout, a 48-year-old mother of three who was brought to Parker Adventist hospital on Saturday.
"It went from the hospital to her having cardiac arrest at the hospital to being in a coma, pretty much," said Occhipinti-Krout's daughter, Tiffany Weider. "I just definitely wouldn't want to see anybody else have to go through this."
Because Listeria can incubate for as long as 70 days, it can be difficult to pinpoint the source or sources of a listeriosis outbreak. Colorado health officials have looked at the epidemiological evidence and reviewed the DNA fingerprints (PFGE patterns) for the listeria cases. The evidence points to cantaloupe as being the source of the outbreak.
Listeriosis is a rare, potentially fatal infection that can occur after food contaminated with
Listeriabacteria is ingested. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, confusion and convulsions.
National food safety experts at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., have been investigating this outbreak. If you have legal questions regarding an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak, contact our listeriosis attorneys online or call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free).
