CDC: Listeria Outbreak Linked To Roos Foods Appears Over

The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak earlier this year that killed one person and sickened seven people in Delaware and one in California appears to be over, according to a final update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The victims were all of Hispanic ethnicity, CDC’s update noted, and five of the illnesses (two mother-newborn pairs and one newborn) were related to pregnancy. Seven of the eight people sickened were hospitalized. No new illnesses related to this outbreak have been reported since the last CDC update on March 12, 2014.

The agency’s update states that the investigation by local and state public health and regulatory agencies, CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicated that cheese products made by Roos Foods of Kenton, DE, were the likely source of this outbreak. The cheese products have been recalled, and a list of the recalled brands can be found here.

Due to the possibility of a continued public health threat, FDA suspended the food facility registration of Roos Foods on March 11, 2014, meaning that the company cannot legally distribute any products.

The recalled cheese products were distributed through retail stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and the District of Columbia. CDC advised anyone still having the recalled products not to eat any of them and to check their homes for these products and discard them.

Listeriosis is an important cause of illness in the United States. Consumers who develop a fever after eating dairy products manufactured by Roos Foods should seek medical care immediately and tell the health care provider about eating a recalled dairy product. Although people can sometimes develop listeriosis up to two months after eating contaminated food, symptoms usually start within several days.

Listeria can grow in dairy products at room and refrigerator temperatures. Listeria can also be spread to other dairy products, including cheeses that are cut and served on the same cutting board or stored in the same area as contaminated cheese.

More information about listeriosis and the steps people can take to reduce their risk of infection can be found on the CDC Listeria website (or the Spanish version of the website).

from Food Safety News » Food Recalls http://ift.tt/1h9yauP