Here’s what you need to know about the 17-state listeria outbreak with four deaths
While a nation concerned itself with the latest cancellations, case locations and case numbers from the new coronavirus, a deadly listeria outbreak struck 17 states and killed four people.
Here’s what you need to know:
What: Listeria, a bacterial infection, hits 1,600 Americans each year, the CDC says, usually with fever, nausea, headaches and stomachaches. Pregnant women can suffer miscarriages and stillbirths. About 260 people die from listeria each year, most being either senior citizens over 65, children under 5 or those with damaged immune systems.
Food involved: Sun Hong Foods’ Enoki Mushrooms, made in Korea. On Monday, Sun Hong Foods recalled all cases of 7.05-ounce bags of enoki mushrooms which went to distributors in six states. The state of Michigan found listeria in each of two samples of mushrooms from a store where an ill person bought enoki mushrooms.
How many have been sickened: 36 people, of whom 30 were hospitalized and four have died. The CDC says six pregnant women got it, “of which two suffered fetal loss.”
Where did those people live: In 17 states, according to the CDC, but more than one-third of the 36 cases live in California (nine) or New York (four). Hawaii and Virginia each have three cases. Florida, Arizona, Massachusetts and Maryland each have two, as seen on this CDC chart of listeria sufferers. Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Tennessee each have one.
The deaths were in California, Hawaii and New Jersey.
What you should do: If you have the mushrooms in your home, toss them out or return them to the store for a refund. Also, clean and sanitize all surfaces the mushrooms touched, including counters.
This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 8:17 AM.
