Health investigators link listeria outbreak to florida

Health investigators link listeria outbreak to florida


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Big Olaf Creamery of Sarasota, Florida, recalled all flavors and lots of its ice cream products after an investigation identified it as the food source responsible for a multistate outbreak 


of listeria infections primarily involving people who either live in Florida or traveled there prior to becoming sick. The ice cream was sold at Big Olaf retailers, restaurants and senior


homes in Florida, and one location in Fredericksburg, Ohio. The ice cream maker ended production and distribution of its products. It also contacted retail locations to recommend against


selling its products, and advised consumers who have Big Olaf ice cream in their freezers to throw it away and sanitize any surfaces that may have come in contact with it.  Consumers who


have questions about the recall can call 941-365-7483 Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. FOODS COMMONLY CONTAMINATED WITH LISTERIA * Unpasteurized soft cheeses *


Unpasteurized milk * Raw sprouts * Melons * Hot dogs, pâtés, lunch meats and cold cuts * Smoked fish Source: CDC A total of 23 cases of listeriosis, a bacterial infection usually caused by


eating food contaminated with listeria, were recorded in 10 states, causing 22 hospitalizations and one death. Sick people ranged in age from under 1 to 92, with a median age of 72.


Illnesses were reported between Jan. 24 and June 12. The CDC investigation initially determined that 20 of the infections were reported by people who are Florida residents or who traveled


to Florida the month before they became ill. However, the food source of the outbreak remained a mystery. But as more information was collected, investigators determined that 18 of the


victims had eaten ice cream before becoming ill, and 10 recalled eating Big Olaf ice cream or eating ice cream at a location supplied by Big Olaf. The other states involved in the outbreak


are Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, some Vidalia onions distributed to several states by A&M Farms and


marketed under the Little Bear brand were recalled on June 30 over concerns that they may have been contaminated with listeria. However, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)


have not linked the recalled onions to the outbreak investigation, and no illnesses have been tied to consuming the recalled onions. The Little Bear brand of Vidalia onions subject to the


recall were sold at some Wegmans stores in Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, as well as at some Publix stores in Florida and Georgia. ADVICE TO OLDER ADULTS Adults 65 and older are 


four times more likely than others to get infected with listeria, according to the CDC. Other high-risk individuals include those who are immunocompromised or pregnant. A listeria


infection can cause a range of symptoms including headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches. Anyone who is at high risk of an


infection and has these symptoms is advised to contact a health care provider. People usually report symptoms one to four weeks after eating food contaminated with listeria. But some people


have reported symptoms as late as 70 days after exposure and as early as the day of exposure. About 1,600 people in the U.S. get listeriosis each year, resulting in 260 deaths, the CDC


estimates. _Aaron Kassraie writes about issues important to military veterans and their families for AARP. He also serves as a general assignment reporter. Kassraie previously covered U.S.


foreign policy as a correspondent for the Kuwait News Agency's Washington bureau and worked in news gathering for _USA Today_ and Al Jazeera English._