FDA reports another new outbreak of infection with Listeria monocytogenes

A new outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infection from food that has not yet been identified has been added to the list of outbreaks under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration.

There are two confirmed cases, but the FDA has not disclosed the patient’s age or state of residence.

This outbreak is separate from another outbreak of infection with Listeria monocytogenes announced on 9 November by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak has 16 confirmed cases, one of whom has died. Also, one of the patients is a pregnant woman who has lost her baby to the infection. Thirteen of her patients required hospitalization.

In the FDA-announced outbreak of two patients, the FDA has initiated a traceback effort but has not reported any foods or foodstuffs being traced. Field surveys and sample testing have not yet begun.

Ongoing Outbreak Under FDA Investigation

• An outbreak advisory was issued on 30 September for an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes from brie and camembert cheeses. The recall information was updated on October 28th. Seven patients from six different states were reported to have been confirmed sick. Five people were hospitalized, according to the CDC.
• The number of cases remains 11 in outbreaks involving E. coli O157:H7 from unknown sources.
• The FDA has initiated traceback and sample collection of an outbreak of E. coli O121:H19 associated with frozen falafel sold at Aldi stores in 36 states. At least 20 people have been confirmed sick as of 7 October, the date of the latest update. Cases have been confirmed in Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. The most recent illness onset was September 13th.
• At least four infants were infected with Cronobacter, two of whom died. The outbreak has been determined by the CDC to be over, but is still under investigation.

Click here to go to the FDA page with links to details of the specific outbreak. The investigation is in various stages. Some outbreaks are under active investigation with limited information, while others are nearing completion.

According to the FDA, public health advisories are issued for investigations that result in specific and actionable steps that consumers can take to protect themselves. Please pay attention to these pages.

Investigations of outbreaks and adverse events do not lead to concrete, actionable steps for consumers, and may not ultimately identify sources or reveal contributing factors. Adverse event investigations rely on self-reported data. Although these reports may name specific products, the FDA only lists product categories in the table and does not publish them until there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the product caused illness or adverse events. We do not name specific products. FDA is committed to providing a summary of those findings when causes and/or contributing factors are identified that may be useful in future prevention.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News,click here)