At least one person has died and nearly two dozen more have been hospitalized for a new listeria outbreak, health officials said Thursday as they investigate the source of the contamination.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that cases have been reported in 10 states. Colorado, Minnesota, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Kansas, Illinois and Georgia have each reported one case, while New York and Massachusetts have received two reports. Florida, meanwhile, has reported the vast majority of cases, with 12.
The CDC said it has not identified a food that could be spreading deadly bacteria, but most people who have fallen ill live or traveled to Florida about a month before they became ill.
One person in Illinois died after contracting the disease, according to the CDC, and five of the cases were reported in pregnant women, one of whom lost the fetus.
Listeria is one of the most dangerous forms of food poisoning, and is especially dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.
The actual number of sick people in an outbreak is probably greater than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to states with known diseases because most infected people suffer from mild symptoms and recover without seeking medical attention. .
If you have a fever and other symptoms of possible listeriosis, you should seek medical attention and tell your doctor if you eat possibly contaminated food.
Officials said the public should be alert to symptoms and the possibility of infection. These symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea.
Symptoms of listeria usually begin one to four weeks after eating contaminated food, but can begin as early as the same day.
Listeria can be treated with antibiotics.
The first cases occurred in January this year, but have continued until June, when two of the people became ill, CDC officials said.