Over the past decade, more than two dozen people have become sick due to a Listeria outbreak linked to Rizo-López Foods of Modesto, Calif. Two of them died from the bacterial infection.
As of this Friday, the list of recalled dairy products related to the outbreak continued to grow. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced investigations this month.
According to the FDA, 26 illnesses have been reported since June 2014 in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. Out of those reported illnesses, 23 resulted in hospitalizations. One death was reported in California and another was reported in Texas.
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that causes listeriosis, a serious infection. Every year an estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis and approximately 260 die from it, said the CDC .
“The infection is most likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems,” the centers explained. It can cause miscarriages and stillbirths and can cause short term symptoms such as fever and diarrhea in healthy individuals.