It started as a few scattered illnesses, some stomach pain here and a fever there, but health officials across the US are now tracing a deadly listeria outbreak that’s been linked to a line of ready-made pasta dishes sold nationwide.
The meals, once found in supermarket chillers and freezers, are now at the centre of a major public health warning.
Investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) say the same strain of Listeria monocytogenes has infected people in at least 18 states. And while some may recover at home, for others, it’s been devastating.
At least six people have now died, and 25 others have been hospitalised. The CDC said one pregnancy-associated illness also resulted in the loss of a baby.
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It’s the latest escalation in a months-long investigation that first began back in June when chicken fettuccine alfredo meals produced by FreshRealm tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The company sources its pasta from Nate’s Fine Foods, a ready-to-eat food manufacturer based in Roseville, California.
Following the discovery, FreshRealm initiated a voluntary recall of more than 245,000 pounds of prepared pasta dishes. Reported by People, the CDC said in an update: “A listeria outbreak linked to recalled prepared pasta meals has left six people dead and numerous others hospitalized."
Officials added that the real number of people sickened could be higher, since it can take several weeks to confirm cases, and some may recover without ever being tested.
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Listeria, according to the CDC, is ‘a bacteria that can contaminate many foods.’ Symptoms can appear the same day or as late as ten weeks after eating contaminated products. Typical signs include fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea.
In serious cases, it can lead to sepsis, pregnancy loss, or death.
Health experts are urging consumers to double-check their fridges and freezers for any of the recalled pasta meals. If found, the advice is to immediately throw them away or return them to the store.
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The outbreak follows several other major food recalls this year, including millions of pounds of frozen chicken and pork products, as well as fruit and vegetables pulled from shelves over similar contamination fears.
For now, as health officials continue to trace the source of the contamination, all emphasise that any of these recalled foods must be returned ASAP.
Ben Williams