Listeria in Dole Salad Mixes Killed 1, Hospitalized 12 — CDC

A listeria outbreak has caused the death of one person, and the hospitalization of another 11 people in a multi-state spread case that has reached Michigan, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and MA. Twelve people were hospitalized, and one person from MI died as a result of listeriosis. ABC News reported the packaged salads can be identified by the letter “A” at the beginning of the manufacturing code. Dole Food Company issued a voluntary market withdrawal of the packaged salads in 23 states nationwide and in Three provinces in Canada a few hours after the CDC announcement. On January 21st, 2016, Dole reported to CDC that it had stopped all production at the processing facility in Springfield, Ohio. No evidence links the outbreak to other Dole facilities in the U.S.

Listeria bacteria can cause the illness listeriosis after a person eats food contaminated with the bacteria. It is commonly found in processed meats, unpasteurized cheeses and unpasteurized milk, and it is sometimes found in other foods as well – listeria in cantaloupes was linked to 30 deaths in a 2011 outbreak.

Several packaged salad products have been recalled, including Dole and store brands for Kroger, Aldi, Meijer and Walmart.

The outbreak was last summer but consumers shouldn’t take chances, CDC said. The outbreak began in July. The disease is especially risky for pregnant women, since it can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of a newborn. The infection can be particularly severe for pregnant women and their newborns, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. The Ohio Department of Agriculture isolated Listeria from a pack of Dole brand Field Greens, and the isolate was genetically related to the previous isolates collected from the 12 patients. Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, muscle aches, and nausea, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

The CDC recommends washing any drawers the salad packages were stored in, as well as any utensils or cutting boards that came into contact with the product.