CDC releases safety measures against listeria, a life-threatening infection.
As the death toll rises to five, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) release precautions against listeria. Listeriosis is a foodborne illness that causes muscle aches and fevers. It may also cause septicemia and meningitis in older people infected.
The current outbreak is traced to a single machine from a Blue Bell production facility in Oklahoma. Three people have died after eating Blue Bell ice cream products from a single hospital in Kansas. The last outbreak took place in 2011, killing 33 of those infected from contaminated melons.
Listeria is commonly found in dirt and water; animals may be carriers without showing signs of being ill. Infected foods include uncooked meats and vegetables, unpasteurized milk and cheeses and products made from them. Today, listeria is mainly caused by soft, Mexican-style cheeses made from unpasteurized milk.
Processed meats and smoked seafood may also be sources of the bacteria. Listeria may be killed by cooking and pasteurization. Listeriosis has the ability to grow and multiply in refrigerators.
Listeriosis can affect anyone. Those particularly at risk are pregnant women, people over 65 and those wi th weakened immune systems. According to the CDC, 90 percent of those infected belong to these groups.
Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics but may cause death even when it is treated. In pregnant women, it may lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm labor and illness or death of an infant.
The CDC recommends not eating Blue Bell products process in the Oklahoma facility. Consumers can identify these by the letters O through T located on the bottom of the package, next to the code date. People should take precaution eating food associated with listeria.
For more information and educational resources on listeria, please visit the CDC’s Vital Signs report.
