Food

Infant Dead and 10 Others Infected Amid Listeria Outbreak

An infant is dead and 10 others are infected with listeria amid the latest outbreak, which has been tied to ready-to-eat meat products .

Listeria
Photo by KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

An infant is dead amid a listeria outbreak. On Nov. 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that a newborn was dead and 10 others infected with listeria due to contamination of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products distributed by Yu Shang Food Inc.

Eleven people over four states have been infected with listeria between July and November. Of those 11 people, nine have been hospitalized and one, an infant, has died.

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The infant, who was a twin, died in California. The infant’s mom and twin were likewise sick, and the second twin died too. While listeria was found in the mom and the first twin, it was not found in the second twin. That twin’s death was not included in the numbers the CDC released.

The CDC noted that the true number of sick people is likely higher than reported, and could include more states too. Some people with listeria recover without medical care and others take weeks to be tied to an outbreak.

What Products have been recalled?

Yu-Shang Food ready-to-eat meat and poultry products are making people sick, the CDC said. The impacted products—including pork hock, chicken feet, pork feet, duck neck, beef shank, and pork tongue—have been recalled. All affected products feature “P46684” or “EST. M46684” on the label, per the CDC.

“We have been working very closely with the food safety agency to prevent listeria contamination in the future by implementing good sanitation practices in production,” a spokesperson for Yu Shang Food Inc. told NBC News. “We will get food safety expert’s advice if we need to provide safe products for our customers in the future.”

If a person has a recalled product, they’re urged to throw it away and clean the area in which it was stored. If you suspect you’ve contracted listeria, contact your doctor. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and tiredness.

Listeria is especially harmful to people who are pregnant, older than 65, or with weakened immune systems.