According to a report released Monday by the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, an outbreak of listeria monocytogenes has spread into a fourth U.S. state.
Listeria is one of the most virulent food borne pathogens, with an exceptionally high mortality rate among certain classes of patients. It presents itself with flu-like symptoms and can be hard to diagnose without blood testing.
That latest report from the CDC indicated 15 confirmed cases in four states: Colorado, Nebraska, Texas and Oklahoma. Each case appears to track back to an outbreak from eating cantaloupes grown and marketed in the Rocky Ford region of Colorado.
According to the CDC advisory report, several more cases of the illness are being investigated in other states but have yet to be confirmed. Infection in the present known cases appears to have occurred after Aug. 15 and includes patients aged 38 to 96 years old. All patients have been hospitalized and 73 percent are women. One death has been reported.
Key facts about listeria are:
* The disease primarily strikes older adults, pregnant women, children, and those with weakened immune systems.
* Listeria monocytogenes are found in the soil and water supplies. And, while animals can consume it, they often will show no side-effects of contamination.
* 800 cases are reported each year in the United States. Produce is not typically identified as the source, but a 2009 outbreak did trace back to contaminated sprouts while a 2010 outbreak was caused by celery.
* Being exposed to listeria bacteria in food does not mean any symptoms will present. Not everyone who consumes the bacteria will get sick from it. If no symptoms occur, there is little need to seek medical treatment.
* CDC recommends thoroughly cooking all foods, rinsing vegetables under water, and avoiding cantaloupes grown in Colorado’s Rocky Ford region. The Colorado Department of Public Health recommends not eating cantaloupes grown in the affected region, but the CDC expanded the warning to all people living in the mainland United States
* Pasteurization kills the bacteria, but some processed deli foods and hot dogs can be re-exposed to it during packaging. Cheeses made with un-pasterurized milk also pose a risk. Carefully cook all foods to their recommended temperature before consuming.
* Symptoms are very much flu-like in the initial stages. High fever, often accompanied by chills, muscle aches and stiff neck are the most commonly reported. Pregnant women should see their physician without delay if possessing any of these indicators.
* An antibiotic protocol is recommended, but deaths have been reported by patients who were on such protocols.
* Pregnant women are at extreme risk of infection. As a precaution, the CDC recommends all pregnant women avoid certain types of cheese, especially Brie, camembert and feta.
* The mortality rate is extremely high for this virulent food-borne pathogen. Up to 30 percent of those infected will die from the disease, with or without treatment.
Anyone suspecting they have been exposed to this disease should immediately contact their physician or local health department.