Jun 30, 2022 - Health

1 person has died in a mysterious listeria outbreak

A photo of Listeria.

A photo of Listeria. Photo: BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday a recent listeria outbreak has led to 23 reported illnesses, 22 hospitalizations and one death across 10 states.

The intrigue: The CDC is still investigating the source of the outbreak. No specific food item has been identified.

Details: In a notice posted Thursday, the CDC said 20 of the infected people either live in or traveled to Florida within a month of their diagnosis.

  • People in 10 different states have become ill from the outbreak, including Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Listeria outbreak symptoms

Listeriosis is considered a serious infection that is often caused by contaminated food, per Today.com. They're often linked to dairy products and produce.

  • Symptoms often start within two weeks of eating the contaminated food.
  • The most common symptoms are fever and flu-like symptoms.
  • Other symptoms include headaches, stiff neck, loss of balance and confusion.
What to do with listeria symptoms

What's next: The CDC recommends calling your health care provider if you have symptoms.

  • You should also write down everything you ate before you became sick, the CDC said.
Previous listeria outbreaks

Flashback: Back in the fall of 2021, a listeria outbreak lead to 10 illnesses, 10 hospitalizations and one death in eight states, Axios previously reported.

  • The cases were connected to Fresh Express packaged salads, which recalled some of its products at the time.
  • In 2019, a listeria outbreak linked to packaged hard-boiled egg products resulted in one death, too, Axios reported.
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