Two Die in Front Range Listeria Outbreak
Colorado state health officials are working to determine the source of a listeriosis outbreak along the Front Range that has killed two people and hospitalized seven others. Most of the patients are women in their 30s to 90s who live in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson or Weld counties, according to the health department.
Eating food contaminated with Listeria can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal infection. Each year, 1,600 people become seriously ill from listeriosis. Of these, 260 die according the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those at highest risk include older adults, pregnant women and people with immune compromising conditions. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, confusion and convulsions. Listeriosis also can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.
Foods of particular concern include :
- Hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts, other deli meats (e.g., bologna), or fermented or dry sausages unless they are heated to an internal temperature of 165 F, or until steaming hot just before serving.
- Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna and mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked" or "jerky."
- Unpasteurized soft cheese such as feta, queso blanco, queso fresco, brie, Camembert, blue-veined or panela (queso panela).
National food safety experts at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., are investigating the Colorado listeriosis outbreak. Our firm is one of the very few in the country with extensive experience in foodborne illness litigation and we have won millions of dollars for past Listeria outbreak victims. If you have legal questions regarding compensation for harms brought by an infection in this outbreak, contact our listeriosis attorneys online or call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Case consultations with a lawyer are free.
