At least six people have died in an outbreak of listeria bacteria in salads and prepared pastas sold in US supermarkets such as Walmart, Kroger, and Trader Joe's, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned on Friday.
A total of 27 people have been infected in the current outbreak across 18 states from August 1 to October 16, with seven new cases, including two deaths in Hawaii and Oregon, in the latest CDC report. The CDC warned that the actual number could be higher as not all affected individuals get tested.
The outbreak was caused by pasta in foods, such as salads and ready-to-eat dishes, that are contaminated with the bacterium 'Listeria monocytogenes' and are 'making people sick,' according to the agency's report.
'Sick people bought these products from the refrigerated section of Walmart and Kroger. Two people also reported deli salads that contained pasta from other stores,' the latest report pointed out.
In response to the outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested in early October that some pasta products from Trader Joe's, Kroger, and other brands be recalled.
Of the sick people interviewed by the CDC, 54% reported eating ready-to-eat dishes, 57% of whom specifically mentioned chicken and fettuccine with Alfredo sauce. ' 'Public health investigators continue to collect information about what sick people ate before they became ill to determine if additional products are linked to the outbreak,' the CDC stated.
The listeria outbreak in the US coincides with others reported in recent months in cheeses from Spain and France, where these products suspected of causing listeriosis and resulting in two deaths were exported to some thirty countries.
