Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked to Ice Cream – Consumer Health News

TUESDAY, July 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked a latest Listeria outbreak to ice cream made by Florida-based Big Olaf Creamery.

One individual has died within the outbreak involving 10 states, whereas 22 have been hospitalized.

The company said that well being officers interviewed 17 of these those that acquired sick and 14 reported consuming ice cream. Among the 13 who remembered the kind of ice cream they ate, six recognized the model as Big Olaf Creamery or a location that served that sort of ice cream.

On Friday, the corporate started voluntarily started contacting retail places to suggest towards promoting their ice cream merchandise, the CDC mentioned.

On Sunday, the corporate issued its personal statement on social media in regards to the outbreak.

“For now it’s only hypothesis as it’s an ongoing investigation, our model has not been confirmed to be linked to these circumstances…,” the corporate acknowledged. “The authentic report we acquired from the Florida Department of Health on Friday July 1st, was that there are 23 circumstances reported… 6 out of the 23 sufferers talked about having consumed Big Olaf ice cream, however nothing has been confirmed.”

The assertion added that the corporate has been cooperating with state and federal well being officers as quickly because it was knowledgeable in regards to the state of affairs.

Listeria is a micro organism that may trigger extreme sickness when it spreads past the intestine to different components of the physique, a situation often called invasive listeriosis.

Consumers who’ve Big Olaf Creamery model ice cream, which is just bought in Florida, ought to throw it away, the CDC mentioned in its alert. Clean any areas, containers or serving utensils which will have touched the ice cream. Retailers who’ve bought merchandise from the model shouldn’t serve it till additional discover. Any tools, ice cream scoops, serving utensils or areas which will have come into contact with the ice cream ought to be cleaned.

While most individuals don’t turn out to be severely unwell from Listeria, it may be harmful for pregnant ladies and their newborns, folks ages 65 and older and people with weakened immune techniques.

Symptoms of extreme sickness usually begin inside two weeks of consuming the contaminated meals, however can even begin the identical day or as many as 70 days later.

Symptoms can embrace diarrhea and fever, in addition to headache, stiff neck, confusion, lack of steadiness, muscle aches and convulsions.

Pregnant ladies usually expertise solely fever, fatigue and muscle aches, however the an infection can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, untimely supply or a life-threatening an infection of the new child.

More info

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extra info on Listeria.

SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, information launch, July 2, 2022