Multistate Listeria Outbreaks Cause 26 Hospitalizations, 1 Death

Multiple Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks have recently emerged involving deli meat, cheese, and enoki mushrooms, along with an unknown food source. With 26 hospitalizations and 1 death across the U.S., the CDC warns people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system to take additional precautions.

The CDC has reported a total of 30 illnesses, 26 hospitalizations, and 1 death across 15 U.S. states. However, true illness numbers are likely much higher than the numbers reported, as many people are not tested for Listeria and it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if someone is part of an outbreak. While most severe cases of infection have occurred in people over the age of 65, hospitalizations have also occurred in individuals as young as 30.

More than 400 food products have been recalled due to Listeria contamination as investigators continue to identify additional deli, cheese, and enoki mushroom brands that may be contaminated with the outbreak strain. To pinpoint the unknown food source, public health officials are interviewing people affected by the outbreak to trace what foods they ate before getting sick. However, it is difficult for investigators to identify a single food as the source of outbreaks, as Listeria can persist for a long time in display cases and equipment, allowing one contaminated food to introduce the outbreak strain into multiple states.

Listeria monocytogenes infection

Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can cause deadly infections after consuming contaminated food or beverages, commonly meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and vegetables. Listeria infection can produce a variety of symptoms, such as fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, and diarrhea. Symptoms usually appear within 1-4 weeks of eating contaminated food, but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after.

Many people infected with Listeria require hospital care, as the infection easily spreads beyond the gut, causing a bloodstream infection that affects other parts of the body. If the bacteria spreads to the central nervous system, it may cause meningitis—swelling of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Listeria infection can be especially serious, and even deadly, in newborns, people over the age of 65, and those with weakened immune systems, causing additional symptoms such as muscle aches, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Listeria is also particularly dangerous for pregnant women, as the infection can spread to the fetus through the placenta, often leading to miscarriage or stillbirth.

How to prevent spread

Foodborne illness outbreaks have devastating consequences on public health and the economy, as they can lead to mass infections and hospitalizations in vulnerable populations. When an outbreak of a certain pathogen emerges, it can take weeks or even months to trace it back to a specific food, if one is found at all. During this time, public health is compromised while the source of contamination is unknown. Furthermore, when food or beverage contamination is confirmed, the product is often recalled from the market—a costly and time-consuming process.

However, rapid detection of foodborne pathogens can reduce the number of contaminated products entering the market altogether. The KRAKEN is a real-time, fully automated pathogen detection device that can be implemented in food processing plants. While conventional methods can take several days to detect pathogens, the KRAKEN delivers results in just 30 minutes, allowing contamination to be contained and eliminated immediately.

The KRAKEN takes water directly from any food and beverage processing plant, continuously testing samples throughout the processing line to ensure each batch is safe. Without any sample preparation or manual sampling required, testing is fully autonomous, providing an early warning of pathogen contamination before the water has come in contact with the food to prevent costly recalls and disease outbreaks.

About Kraken Sense

Kraken Sense develops all-in-one pathogen detection solutions to accelerate time to results by replacing lab testing with a single field-deployable device. Our proprietary device, the KRAKEN, has the ability to detect bacteria and viruses down to 1 copy/mL. It has already been applied for epidemiology detection in wastewater and microbial contamination testing in food processing, among many other applications. Our team of highly-skilled Microbiologists and Engineers tailor the system to fit individual project needs. To stay updated with our latest articles and product launches, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, or sign up for our email newsletter. Discover the potential of continuous, autonomous pathogen testing by speaking to our team.