CDC says 1 person dead from listeria linked to Dole salads

With the CDC tracing the strain to packaged salads produced at a Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio, Dole announced a temporary shutdown of this site Friday, plus a total withdrawal of any salads produced there. Out of 12 people who have been hospitalized, one died of illness from MI, remaining 11 still fighting for the survival from Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and MA.

The private-label salads, which Dole produces for other brands, include Kroger’s Fresh Selections salad kits, according to the CDC.

Meanwhile, Dole informed the CDC on Thursday that it has halted production at the Springfield plant, and that all packaged salads made in that facility will be pulled from store shelves.

The salads that have been recalled all belonged to the Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio. The CDC reports that there is no evidence that other salads made at other facilities have any contamination.

The manufacturing code on the package starts with the letter “A”.

Texas-based Blue Bell Creameries, ranked the No. 1 ice cream brand in the country in 2014, recalled all products last spring after a listeria outbreak in four states were linked to Blue Bell frozen treats.

Known by the scientific name Listeria monocytogenes, it is the bacterium which causes listeriosis – an infection that affects the gastrointestinal tract.

Among its symptoms, there are fever, muscle aches, stiff neck, confusion, headache and loss of balance. No other facilities have been detected as having an outbreak.

Listeria can cause a serious, life-threatening illness. People experiencing these symptoms and who may have consumed this packaged salad product should seek immediate medical attention.

As part of a routine product sampling program, the Ohio Department of Agriculture collected a Dole brand Field Greens packaged salad from a retail location and isolated Listeria. People particularly at risk are pregnant women, older adults and those with weakened immune systems.

One death and 12 illnesses from listeria have been linked to Dole’s Springfield plant, leading the company to voluntarily shut down the site.