At least one person has died and nearly two dozen others have been hospitalized from a new listeria outbreak, health officials said Thursday as they investigate the source of the outbreak.
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 each reported one case, while New York and Massachusetts each received two reports. Meanwhile, Florida reported the vast majority of cases, with 12.
The CDC said it has not identified any food that could have spread the deadly bacteria, but most of the people who got sick lived in or traveled to Florida about a month before they got sick.
One person in Illinois has 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 true number of people sickened in the outbreak is likely higher than reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to states with known disease, as most people who are infected suffer mild symptoms and recover without seeking medical attention .
You should seek medical attention and tell the doctor about eating possibly contaminated food if you have a fever and other symptoms of possible listeriosis
Authorities said the public should be alert for 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 consuming contaminated food, but can begin as early as the same day.
Listeria can be treated with antibiotics.
The first cases appeared in January of this year, but continued until June, when two of the people became ill, CDC officials said.
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