Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked To Ready-To-Eat Pasta From Walmart & Trader Joe’s Leaves 4 People Dead
Four people are dead and 19 more have been hospitalized following a listeria outbreak connected to recalled ready-to-eat pasta meals sold at grocery stores across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.
As of Sept. 30, there have been 20 confirmed cases of listeria poisoning in connection with the outbreak across 15 states. The outbreak is linked to recalled ready-to-eat pasta meals sold at Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Kroger and Albertsons Companies stores.
Deaths took place in Illinois, Michigan, Texas and Utah, including one pregnancy-associated illness which resulted in a fetal loss.
Infections from the outbreak were confirmed in: California (2 cases), Florida (1 case), Illinois (1 case), Indiana (1 case), Louisiana (2 cases), Michigan (2 cases), Minnesota (1 case), Missouri (1 case), Nevada (1 case), North Carolina (1 case), Ohio (1 case), South Carolina (1 case), Texas (3 cases), Utah (1 case) and Virginia (1 case).
The listeria outbreak was initially announced in June by the CDC, when the agency began investigating reports of illness. On Sept. 25, the Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for ready-to-eat pasta meals that may be contaminated with listeria.
The numbers mentioned only cover known cases and may not represent the entire extent of the outbreak, according to the CDC.
