Twelfth death in long-term care Listeria outbreak

February 24, 2025

A twelfth person has died in the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak traced to Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes supplied to hospitals and long-term care facilities, according to a report released today by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The deaths occurred in California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.

Since 2018, 38 people have been confirmed infected with the outbreak strain. Most of the victims reported that they lived in long-term care facilities or had been hospitalized prior to becoming ill.

Outbreak illnesses have been reported in 21 states to date: Alabama (1), California (4), Colorado (1), Connecticut (2), Florida (2), Illinois (2), Indiana (3), Maryland (1), Michigan (2), Minnesota (1), Missouri (1), North Carolina (2), Nevada (1), New York (3), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (1), Tennessee (2), Texas (5), Washington (1), and West Virginia (1).

Outbreak victims ranged in age from 43 to 101 years, with a median age of 78.

The CDC investigated this outbreak on three prior occasions: in 2018, 2021, and 2023. Epidemiological investigations determined that that sick people were residents in long-term care facilities and nursing homes and the likely source was a food served in those types of institutions; however, there was not enough information to identify a specific food.

A new cluster of six new infections caused by the same outbreak strain was identified in October 2024. This time, the CDC was able to flag a product of interest.

A traceback investigation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes manufactured by Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. (“Prairie Farms”) from the Prairie Farms facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the probable source of the outbreak.

During an inspection of the manufacturing facility, the FDA collected environmental and product samples at the Fort Wayne location. Three of the environmental swabs collected from the processing area tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, and Whole Genome Sequencing established that the strain recovered from these samples was closely related to the outbreak strain.

On February 22, 2025, Lyons Magnus LLC recalled multiple Best-by date codes of seventeen (17) 4 oz. Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes.

What the public needs to know

Symptoms of a Listeria infection

Symptoms usually start within two weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after. Mild symptoms may include a fever, muscle aches, nausea, tiredness, vomiting, and diarrhea. If the more severe form of listeriosis develops, symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

General recommendations

Distributors and foodservice customers, including hospitals and long-term care facilities who purchased or received Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes should not sell or serve these products. Carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that they touched and follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Listeria can survive in refrigerated temperatures
and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.
If you or your family member have symptoms of listeriosis you should contact your health care provider to report your symptoms and receive care.

Recommendations for at-risk groups

Listeria is most likely to sicken pregnant women and newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.
Pregnant women typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
Call your healthcare provider right away if you have symptoms of a Listeria infection.