Listeria Outbreak From Cantaloupe Turns Deadly

At least 13, and as many as 14 deaths may be attributable to an outbreak of Listeria tied to cantaloupe from Colorado, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the CDC, the tainted cantaloupe have sickened at least 72 people in at least 18 states. So far, Listeria has been reported in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, with the most illnesses in Colorado.

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers not to eat Rocky Ford Cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms and to throw away recalled product that may still be in their home.

How to identify

Jensen Farms voluntarily recalled Rocky Ford Cantaloupe shipped from July 29 through September 10, 2011, and distributed to at least 17 states with possible further distribution.

The cantaloupe may be labeled: Colorado Grown, Distributed by Frontera Produce, USA, Pesticide Free, Jensenfarms.com, Sweet Rocky Fords.

The majority of the patients reported eating cantaloupe marketed from the Rocky Ford growing region. FDA’s traceback data from the State of Colorado about their confirmed cases of Listeria monocytogenes have identified a common producer of Rocky Ford cantaloupes, namely Jensen Farms.

Although the investigation is ongoing, no other Rocky Ford cantaloupe producer has been found in common in the Colorado traceback.

Listeriosis is a rare and serious illness caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria called Listeria. Persons who think they might have become ill should consult their doctor. A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches. Sometimes, the symptoms don't show up until two weeks after eating the tainted food.