Cantaloupe Case Count, Death Toll, Continue To Rise

Twenty-nine confirmed illnesses – including 3 deaths.
Twenty-two suspect illnesses – including 4 deaths.
Twelve states reporting at least one suspicious illness.
Fifty-one confirmed or suspected Listeria monocytogenes so far.

And the outbreak is far from over.

As of this evening, at least eleven states are reporting confirmed or suspected cases of Listeria monocytogenes that are part of this outbreak – including, sadly, a total of 7 deaths. The states reporting possible cases are:

Colorado – 12 confirmed cases; 1 death
Kansas – 6 suspect cases
Illinois – at least 1 suspect case in Cook County (IDPH web site doesn’t say how many)
Indiana – 1 confirmed
Missouri – 2 suspect, with 1 death
Montana – 1 confirmed, 1 suspect
Nebraska – 1 confirmed, 2 suspect
New Mexico – 5 confirmed, with 1 death; an additional 5 suspect, with 3 deaths
Oklahoma – 6 confirmed, with 1 death; an additional 4 suspect
Texas – 2 confirmed
West Virginia – 1 confirmed
Wyoming – 1 suspect

The majority of the outbreak victims are more than 60 years old – many of them over 80 years old. As far as is known, all of the confirmed case patients were hospitalized.

This outbreak has been traced unequivocally to whole cantaloupes from a single grower – Jensen Farms, Inc., located in Holly, Colorado. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, ten cantaloupe samples identified as being from Jensen all tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes; several samples matched the outbreak strain recovered from Colorado’s 12 confirmed case patients.

On September 14th, Jensen Farms recalled the implicated cantaloupes. A complete list of retailers that were supplied with these cantaloupes has not been released either by Jensen or by FDA. For a partial retail distribution list, please check the latest eFoodAlert update.

Serious cases of Listeria monocytogenes illness typically have a long incubation period – three weeks or more. Even if all of the contaminatied cantaloupes have now been removed from circulation and discarded, additional illnesses likely will be reported in coming weeks.

Please check your refrigerator for any cantaloupe that may be part of the recall and discard it in a sealed bag. Listeria monocytogenes infections are especially dangerous for the very young, the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system. If you, a family member, or a friend begin to experience the following symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes (as described by CDC), seek immediate medical attention:

A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches, often preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Almost everyone who is diagnosed with listeriosis has “invasive” infection, in which the bacteria spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms vary with the infected person:

Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience only a mild, flu-like illness. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

Persons other than pregnant women: Symptoms, in addition to fever and muscle aches, can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

Cantaloupes Recalled In Listeria monocytogenes Outbreak

Jensen Farms (Holly, CO) has recalled all Rocky Ford whole cantaloupes shipped between July 29, 2011 and September 10, 2011, because these melons “…have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria,” according to a recall notice posted earlier today on the FDA website.

The recalled cantaloupes were distributed to Illinois, Wyoming, Tennessee, Utah, Texas, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The recalled cantaloupes bear a green and white sticker that reads: Product of USA- Frontera Produce-Colorado Fresh-Rocky Ford-Cantaloupe or a gray, yellow, and green sticker that reads: Jensen Farms-Sweet Rocky Fords.

Investigations carried out by FDA, CDC and state and local health agencies earlier fingered whole cantaloupes from the Rocky Ford region of Colorado as the source for a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes. Confirmed and suspect cases have been reported in the following states, according to information released by CDC and various state health agencies:

Colorado:- 11 confirmed; 1 death
Indiana:- 1 confirmed
Montana:- 1 confirmed; 1 under investigation
Nebraska:- 1 confirmed; 2 under investigation
New Mexico:- 9 probable (all ate cantaloupe), including 3 deaths
Oklahoma:- 1 confirmed; 6 under investigation
Texas:- 2 confirmed

In all, six states are reporting a total of 17 confirmed illnesses, including one death. An additional 18 cases are still under investigation, including 9 probable cases in New Mexico. If the New Mexico cases are confirmed to be due to the outbreak strain, the contaminated cantaloupes will have claimed four lives.

Listeria monocytogenes has a very long incubation period – as long as three weeks in some cases. Therefore, it will be a long time before the full human cost of this outbreak can be determined.

It’s unclear from the Jensen Farms recall notice whether or not the outbreak strain has been linked ONLY to cantaloupes from this supplier, or whether other growers in the Rocky Ford region may also be affected. The Jensen melons were not distributed to either Indiana or Montana, according to the recall notice. Yet both of these states are reporting at least one confirmed outbreak case.

Listeria monocytogenes is a common soil microbe. It also is often found as a contaminant in floor drains in food production facilities. The Jensen Farms recall may not be the entire story.

Colorado Cantaloupes Sicken Sixteen

Cantaloupes harvested in the Rocky Ford region of Colorado are responsible for an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes that has sickened at least 16 people in Colorado (11), Indiana (1), Nebraska (1), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (2). CDC reports that 15 people have been hospitalized (that information is unavailable for the 16th victim). One death in Colorado has been attributed to this outbreak.

The number of illnesses – and the death toll – could rise significantly in the next few days; state and local health departments in several more states are investigating Listeria illnesses to determine whether they match the genetic profile of the cantaloupe outbreak strain. One of those states is New Mexico, which reports that it is investigating nine cases of Listeria infections, including three deaths. Oklahoma is investigating an additional 6 cases; Nebraska is awaiting genetic profiling on isolates from two additional Listeria patients. If all of these cases under investigation are confirmed to be due to a single strain, the total number of cases will more than double, to a total of 23 cases.

According to CDC, the outbreak strain has been found “…on cantaloupe collected from grocery stores and from an ill person’s home.” The report does not name the grocery stores where contaminated cantaloupes were procured. CDC adds that these cantaloupes were marketed as having been harvested in the Rocky Ford region of Colorado. FDA, CDC, state and local health departments, and the firms involved are cooperating to determine the exact source of the contamination.

The cantaloupes may have been distributed nationwide; however, no recall has been announced, as investigators still don’t know exactly which cantaloupes are behind the outbreak. FDA has released a short statement on its role in the investigation, but has not issued a Health Alert.

Listeria monocytogenes infections usually cause otherwise healthy adults to experience a mild form of gastroenteritis. But the infections can be serious – sometimes fatal – in susceptible individuals. Groups at high risk for serious complications include the elderly, the very young, pregnant women, cancer patients and anyone with compromised immune systems. Members of any of these high risk groups should avoid eating cantaloupe until this outbreak is over, unless the origin of the melon is clearly identifiable.

CDC offers the following Advice to Consumers:

Contaminated cantaloupes may still be in grocery stores and in consumers’ homes.

CDC recommends that persons at high risk for listeriosis, including older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women, do not eat cantaloupes marketed as coming from the Rocky Ford region of Colorado.

Consumers who have cantaloupes in their homes can check the label or inquire at the store where they purchased it to determine if the fruit was marketed as coming from the Rocky Ford region of Colorado.

Listeriosis primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, and newborns. Persons who think they might have become ill from eating possibly contaminated cantaloupes should consult their doctor immediately.

Cantaloupes marketed as coming from the Rocky Ford region should be disposed of in a closed plastic bag placed in a sealed trash can. This will prevent people or animals from eating them.