Rocky Ford Cantaloupe, Sweet and Deadly
Rocky Ford cantaloupes, melons grown in the Rocky Ford region of southeastern Colorado, are the likely source of a Listeria outbreak that has killed one person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Confirmed illnesses from the outbreak include: Colorado (11), Texas (2), Nebraska (1), Indiana (1) and Oklahoma (1). (Updated September 14, 2011.) Testing is still pending in other states including New Mexico, where three people died and six others were sickened by listeriosis after eating cantaloupe.
Rocky Ford is located in the Arkansas Valley of Colorado, the river valley that runs from Turquoise Lake near Leadville to the Kansas state line. Farmers have been growing cantaloupes and watermelons there since 1895. It’s the birthplace of commercial cantaloupe production in the U.S.
Up until now, Rocky Ford melons have been famous for their especially sweet taste. With an average sugar content of 12 percent, 2 percent higher than most melons, Rocky Ford melons often achieve USDA “extra fancy” status.
During this outbreak, people at high risk for Listeria: the elderly, the immunocompromised and pregnant women, should not eat Rocky Ford melons, public health officials are advising.
Listeriosis is caused by eating foods contaminated with Listeria. Symptoms of listeriosis include: fever and muscle aches, often preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. “Almost everyone who is diagnosed with listeriosis has "invasive" infection, in which the bacteria spread from the intestines to the blood stream or other body sites,” according to the CDC.
Symptoms vary with the infected person but can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Pregnant women typically experience only a mild, flu-like illness. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn, according to the CDC.
In this outbreak, victims’ ages range from 38 to 96 years. Most are females over 60. All of them were sick enough to be hospitalized.
If you have legal questions about a listeriosis case associated with this outbreak, Listeria lawyers at PritzkerOlsen P.A. can help. Contact them toll free at 1 (888) 377-8900 or submit our free consultation form.
