Federal health officials announced Thursday that at least 23 people have been infected by a listeria epidemic which may have originated from Florida. One person died and another was pregnant.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 10 cases reported. All the victims are either Florida residents or have traveled from Florida within the last month to get sick. It is not known what caused the outbreak.
According to the CDC, one person died in Illinois from the disease. Five people died from the disease, with one being a mother.
Listeria, a bacterial disease caused by eating contaminated foods, is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, those over 65 and people with compromised immune systems. According to the agency, it has a 20% fatality rate and causes fetal death in 20% of cases. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include nausea and diarrhea as well as fever.
The CDC recommends that you contact your healthcare provider if you are at risk or have any of these symptoms, especially if you recently traveled to Florida.
According to the CDC, there are approximately 1,600 cases of listeria each year in the United States.
The Food and Drug Administration announced earlier this month that nine states had been notified by the Food and Drug Administration about cheeses made in Kansas City, Missouri. This was due to possible listeria contamination.
