CDC Says Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked to Dole Salads is Over
The CDC announced this week that a Listeria outbreak linked to Dole packaged salads that killed three and sickened at least 18 is over.
As of Monday, April 4, the CDC reported investigation into the outbreak, which affected people in 13 states including Michigan, has ended.
It's believed the outbreak began as far back at 2014. The CDC says while they investigated in 2019 and 2020, they were unable to gather enough data to identify the source. The CDC reopened the investigation in November 2021 when four new illnesses were reported since the end of August 2021 and,
During the most recent investigation, epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data showed that packaged salads produced by Dole made people sick.
In December, Dole issued a voluntary recall followed by another in February.
The CDC does note that the number of sick people may be higher than reported and the outbreak may have been present in more states as "some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria."
You can find more on the CDC's investigation here.
Listeriosis can be a serious and sometimes fatal infection in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Although healthy people may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
You can find more information on which foods are more likely to contain Listeria and how to prevent getting sick here.
LOOK: Food history from the year you were born
More From Mix 95.7
