Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network
Go to Table of Contents for this issue
Update: Listeriosis Outbreak Results in Policy Changes
Edited by: Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D. & Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Winter 2003
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) continue to investigate an outbreak of listeriosis in eight northeastern states, policy changes have already been put in place to reduce the risk of a repeat occurrence. In the outbreak associated with turkey deli meat produced by Pilgram's Pride Corporation in Franconia, PA, 53 persons with confirmed cases of illness from the outbreak strain of Listeria have been identified. Of these, most were hospitalized, 8 died and 3 pregnant women with the disease had miscarriages or stillbirths. Before it was over, two companies in Pennsylvania and New Jersey had recalled over 27 million pounds of ready-to-eat poultry products, including products sold to the USDA for use in schools.
In response to this and other outbreaks, the USDA-FSIS issued a directive on November 18, 2002, calling for all plants that produce high and medium risk ready-to-eat products (deli-meats and hot dogs) to implement an environmental testing regime designed to find and take necessary actions to eliminate Listeria monocytogenes, along with an intensive USDA testing program for those plants not complying with the directive.
As with other food-borne illnesses, those with weakened immune systems and the elderly are more susceptible to severe or life-threatening infection from Listeria monocytogenes. About 2,500 cases of listeriosis are reported in the U.S. every year, and 1 in 5 of those hospitalized with the infection die. Common symptoms are high fever, chills, muscle aches, and sometimes nausea and diarrhea. If the bacteria reach the nervous system, people may also experience headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to develop a listeriosis infection than non-pregnant women due to hormonal changes that affect the maternal immune system. An infection during pregnancy can have severe effects on a baby, including serious health problems, premature delivery, miscarriage, and stillbirth.
Previous outbreaks of listeriosis have been linked to a variety of foods, especially processed meats (such as hot dogs, deli meats and pates), soft cheeses and dairy products made from unpasteurized milk.
Because pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for listeriosis, the CDC and USDA-FSIS recommend the following measures for these persons:
- Do not eat hot dogs and luncheon meat, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
- Avoid cross-contaminating other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces with fluids from hot dog packages, and wash hands after handling hot dogs.
- Do not eat soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican-style cheeses such as "queso blanco fresco." Cheeses that may be eaten include hard cheeses, semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella, pasteurized processed cheeses such as slices and spreads, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.
- Do not eat refrigerated pts or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pts or meat spreads may be eaten.
- Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna or mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky," and found in the refrigerator section or deli counter of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.
- Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat foods that contain unpasteurized milk.
Sources: Update: Listeriosis Outbreak Investigation. CDC Press Release. www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/ pressrel/r021121.htm; USDA Issues Directive to Reduce Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products at Scientific Summit. USDA News Release. www.usda.gov/news/releases/2002/11/0478.htm; Listeriosis and Pregnancy: What is Your Risk? FSIS-USDA. www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/lm_tearsheet.htm.
