Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - Friday December 18, 1998
Barbara Hagenbaugh
The official said the illnesses have been reported in eight states: New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut, Oregon and West Virginia. The joint USDA-CDC investigation began in late November, the official said. So far, investigators have not been able to find the source of the disease. The Agriculture Department usually is involved in cases where food is suspected to be the cause of illnesses.
Listeriosis, not normally contracted by healthy people, is caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. The most common manifestation of listeriosis is meningitis, which has symptoms including high fever, severe headaches, neck stiffness and nausea.
Listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths and can be fatal for those with weakened immune systems, including infants, the elderly and people with chronic diseases who are infected with HIV or who are undergoing chemotherapy. "Listeria is one of the most troubling hazards in the food supply," Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest said. "It is something that needs to be treated very seriously."
Smith DeWaal said Listeria is generally contracted through food that is not cooked. Soft cheeses, such as Mexican-style cheese, feta, brie, blue vein cheeses and processed meat products including hot dogs, luncheon meats and deli meats are considered the most common food carriers of Listeria, she said.
Unlike other bacteria, Listeria actually grows inside refrigerators. Smith DeWaal recommended that consumers reheat prepared meat and deli meat until steaming to be safe.
In 1998, at least 10 U.S. companies have recalled their products because they potentially contained Listeria. The recalled food included luncheon meats, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, smoked turkey breast with Swiss cheese sandwiches and Mexican cheese.
Last month, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., shut down one of its meat processing plants in Madison, Fla., to scrub it from top to bottom after Listeria was found in hot dogs and lunch meats produced at the plant.
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