FDA: Nationwide listeria outbreak leads to 12 deaths

A deadly listeria outbreak linked to frozen supplemental shakes often sold to hospitals and long-term care facilities has led to the deaths of 12 people nationwide, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

A total of 38 listeria monocytogenes infections have been reported in New York, California and about 20 other states, according to the FDA. As a result of the outbreak, Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial frozen supplemental shakes were recalled on Saturday. 

At least 37 out of the 38 people infected have been hospitalized for the illness, the FDA said.

The FDA identified the link between the shakes and the outbreak after conducting an on-site inspection at Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. in Indiana, where the drinks are manufactured, the agency said. Listeria monocytogenes were detected in three environmental swabs on the farm that were similar to the listeria that caused the breakout.

A listeria outbreak last year linked to Boar’s Head deli products led to the deaths of at least 10 people and sickened another 61. That outbreak resulted in the permanent shut down of a Boar’s Head production plant in Jarratt, Virginia. People who became ill or their relatives filed dozens of lawsuits against the company.

A person can contract listeria by ingesting contaminated food, the FDA said. Typically, symptoms of an infection start within two weeks of consuming the food, according to the health agency. But infections can also begin the day the food is eaten to more than two months later.

Mild symptoms of listeria can include nausea and muscle aches, while other indicators of an infection can involve convulsions and confusion, the FDA said. People most likely to get sick from an infection have weakened immune systems, including individuals 65 and older and pregnant women. 

The FDA advises those who have symptoms of listeria to reach out to their health care provider. 

With AP