Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Listeria,Outbreaks & Recalls on January 20, 2025
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have added yet another Listeria outbreak to their investigation table. This one comes after several others recently closed and one other under active investigation. On top of the other three still on the roster.
What do we know about this new Listeria outbreak?
Not much. At least not yet.
Here’s what we DO know, and current Listeria recalls.
Happy New Year! But perhaps not for some. At least 34 people have become sick with Listeria infections.
Here’s what we know:
Let’s break that down.
What does it mean for an illness to be associated with the outbreak?
Most of the time, illnesses are associated with an outbreak when their patient sample matches the outbreak strain.
This is usually confirmed by genetic testing that reveals the germ that infected that individual is closely related to others whose infection is already connected to the outbreak. This is a key indicator that a common source is responsible for all of those illnesses.
Sometimes, however, patient interviews can link illnesses to each other. Their samples may not be an exact or close genetic match (for example, different strains of E. coli) but they all have a common food in their recent history.
In these cases, the same food may still be responsible for those illnesses. Contamination from a grower’s soil or irrigation water may contain multiple pathogens. While this can complicate an outbreak investigation, patient interviews are an important linkage.
When the FDA puts a check mark under “FDA Traceback Initiated,” it means that they are aware of the outbreak and are actively gathering data on it.
This means patient interviews, gathering receipts, and even analyzing shopper rewards cards for purchase history.
When the FDA puts a check mark under “FDA Sampling Initiated,” the organization has begun sampling suspected product. This could be a suspected food from patient’s homes or acquired from retailers where patients have shopped at.
Sometimes an investigation stalls at this point, when no matching strains can be identified.
When the FDA puts a check mark under “FDA Inspection Initiated,” it means that the organization has identified a potential source of the outbreak. This could be a farm, a processing facility, or a distributor that handles the suspected food.
Sadly, not all outbreak investigations make it to this step.
Many outbreak investigations are closed (often due to no new cases and no provable link) before it gets to this step.
The FDA added another Listeria outbreak to the current investigations table on 12/26/24. On the same day the most recent Listeria outbreak was announced, an additional case was added to this one.
This outbreak investigation, with about a two-week head start, has advanced.
Both sampling activities and site visits have been initiated for this outbreak.
So far, we have no news as to the source. But we are likely to hear a result soon. Probably on Wednesday when most of these tables update.
There have been a few recent recalls that could be the source of the two most recent outbreaks.
Among those currently listed on the FDA’s Recall’s, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts table, two stand out.
Cheese and broccoli.
Both were recalled due to the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The germ involved in these two recent outbreaks.
Dairy and Listeria and frequent friends. And the source of many outbreaks.
Abbey Specialty Foods issued a recall for two varieties of cheese on 1/3/25 “because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.”
Specific batches of their Nettle & Chive and Tomato & Herb cheddar products are included in this recall.
Recalled product includes:
According to the recall announcement, this product was only sold in five states. Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Ohio.
Braga Fresh recalled a single production lot of their ready-to-eat Marketside broccoli florets on 12/27/24 due to “random sampling by Texas Health & Human Services from a Texas store location where one of multiple samples yielded a positive test result.
Affected product included 12oz bags of Marketside Broccoli Florets with Lot Code: BFFG327A6 and Best if Used by Date of Dec 10, 2024.
This recall only involved one lot. But others could have been impacted. According to the recall notice, “all potentially affected products are past their expiration date and no longer for sale.”
We will closely monitor the FDA’s recall and outbreak investigation pages for this and another Listeria outbreak investigation. We could see more information on this outbreak investigation in the coming days.
Listeria monocytogenes is the bacteria responsible for listeriosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates around 1,600 people become sick with listeriosis each year. About 260 of those die from the illness. Many of these deaths are caused by foodborne outbreaks.
While anyone can become infected with Listeria, most normally healthy people do not become seriously ill. There are certain groups, however, that are more at risk of becoming sick or experiencing more severe illness. These include adults over 65 years of age, pregnant people and their newborns, and people with a weakened immune system.
Listeria is a complicated infection. Not only does it have different symptoms depending on where it infects the body, but it also impacts those who are pregnant and those who are not pregnant in different ways.
Listeria infections typically start with intestinal illness. Intestinal illness occurs when the bacteria affect the digestive system.
Common symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea beginning within 24 hours of consuming something contaminated with Listeria bacteria. These symptoms often resolve within three days.
Most people with intestinal Listeria illness do not require medical intervention or antibiotic treatment. Plenty of rest and fluids as the illness runs it’s course is your best bet.
Intestinal Listeria illness can evolve to a more invasive illness. This is known as invasive Listeria infection.
Invasive Listeria illness happens when the bacteria leave the digestive system and enter other parts of the body. Symptoms usually begin about two weeks after exposure.
Those who are not pregnant have a higher risk of serious illness or death. Invasive listeriosis in non-pregnant people often includes headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Some may also experience fever and/or muscle aches. This infection can be serious or even life-threatening. 1 in 20 nonpregnant people with invasive listeriosis will die from their illness.
Intestinal Listeria illness is about the same for those who are pregnant. Vomiting and diarrhea beginning within 24 hours with symptoms resolving within three days.
It is the invasive Listeria illness where things get more complicated.
While personal symptoms of invasive listeriosis are milder in pregnant people, the impact on the pregnancy poses potentially serious consequences. Someone who is pregnant and experiencing invasive listeriosis may have fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to still birth, premature delivery, miscarriage, or life-threatening infection in the newborn.
In addition to these two Listeria outbreaks, the FDA is currently investigating three E. coli outbreaks.
If you have recently fallen sick and diagnosed with a Listeria infection, you may be part of this or another Listeria outbreak situation.
The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has helped many families hold accountable those responsible for foodborne illness. When a company becomes negligent, people become sick.
Call (833) 330-3663 or submit your information on the online submission form for a free, no obligation consultation to go over the details of your situation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)