2011 United States listeriosis outbreak
Encyclopedia
The 2011 United States listeriosis outbreak is an ongoing widespread outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning across 26 U.S. states that resulted from contaminated cantaloupe
s linked to Jensen Farms of Holly, Colorado
. As of November 1, 2011, there have been 29 deaths and 139 total confirmed cases since the beginning of the first recorded case on July 31, 2011. It is the worst foodborne illness
outbreak in the United States, measured by the number of deaths, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
began tracking outbreaks in the 1970s, or tied with the worst, an outbreak of listeria from cheese
in 1985, depending on which CDC report is used.
Listeriosis is an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The outbreak was determined to originate from Jensen Farms in Holly, Colorado
after Listeria monocytogenes was found in cantaloupe samples at a Jensen Farms store in Denver, Colorado
and at the farm's packaging plant. The batch of cantaloupes had been shipped out over a period from July 29 through September 10 to twenty-five states, including Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
The outbreak was first reported by the Centers for Disease Control on September 12, where they stated that "fifteen people in four states had been infected". On September 21, a new report was released by the CDC, bringing the number of deaths to 13 and the number of confirmed cases to 72. The report also stated that further deaths were being investigated to determine if they had also been caused by Listeria infection. The CDC report also stated that, as Listeria "only sickens the elderly, pregnant women and others with compromised immune systems", the median
age of all the people that had been infected was 78. On September 30, an update was released by the CDC, reporting that as of 11 a.m. (EDT) 29 Sep 2011 the number of confirmed cases was 84, number of deaths was 15 and the number of states involved was 19. On October 4, the CDC updated their report to 100 infected individuals in 20 states and a total of 18 deaths from the outbreak. The outbreak was shown to have continued to spread to new states, with the CDC update on October 7 stating that the number of cases had risen to 109 in 23 states and that three more people had died to bring the death toll to 21. The CDC update on October 12 put the number of cases at 116 with 23 deaths. An update on October 18 increased the number of cases to 123 and the number of deaths to 25. The October 25 update raised the amount of cases to 133, with three more people dying to raise the total to 28.
Listeria infections can cause pregnant women to miscarry; the first miscarriage
attributed to the 2011 outbreak was reported in early October, in a woman living in Iowa. Pregnant women often are advised to avoid foods, such as unpasteurized
cheese and hot dog
s, that are known to have the potential to carry Listeria, but fruits such as cantaloupe had not previously been identified as sources of concern.
No list of retailers selling the infected cantaloupes has been released by either the government or Jensen Farms. Although the last shipment was September 10 and the fruit has a two-week shelf life, as of September 29, the number of illnesses and deaths was expected to continue rising, because the incubation period could exceed one month.
Recalls by retailers which had sold the Jensen Farms cantaloupes include Kroger
(September 15), Safeway
(September 15), Aldi
(September 16), and US Foods
(September 16).
(FDA) found that the contaminated cantaloupe harvest contained four separate Listeria monocytogenes strains, which the governmental agency found to be "unusual", but was still trying to determine the reason. On October 20, it was reported that the FDA officials had found listeria on dirty, corroded equipment used by Jensen Farms, which had been bought used and was previously utilized for potato farming. It was stated by the government that the "equipments' past use may have played a role in the contamination". Water contaminated with listeria was also found on the floor of the packing plant and it was determined that the workers moving around the plant had spread it, as the contaminated water was also found on the cantaloupe conveyor belt
. It was noted by officials that Jensen Farms had "passed a food safety audit by an outside contractor" six days before the outbreak.
The method of how the listeria bacteria first came to be in the plant is still unknown, as the soil on the farm was determined to be clear of the bacteria. It is suspected, however, that a "dump truck used to take culled melons to a cattle farm...could have brought bacteria to the facility".
, began its own investigation into the outbreak. The Committee "requested a staff briefing from Jensen Farms" and all of the documents they had on the incident. They also requested information from the FDA, CDC, and other governmental groups.
residents were described as being left "reeling and in fear" because of the disaster for its local producer.
." Sherri McGarry, a senior adviser for the FDA, stated that, "We're going to take these lessons learned, share that with our partners and industries, CDC and the states, and what we want to do is we want to really prevent this from happening in the future."
Also, in response to an auditor passing Jensen Farms food safety methods and failing to notice the listeria bacteria in the plant, the deputy commissioner of foods, Michael R. Taylor, had stated that he intends to "establish standards for how auditors should be trained and how audits should be conducted."
, where they had bought the cantaloupe, for selling unsafe food.
Cantaloupe
"Rockmelon" redirects here, for the band see Rockmelons. See also Cantaloupe .Cantaloupe refers to a variety of Cucumis melo, a species in the family Cucurbitaceae which includes nearly all melons and squashes. Cantaloupes range in size from...
s linked to Jensen Farms of Holly, Colorado
Holly, Colorado
Holly is an historic Statutory Town in Prowers County in southeastern Colorado, United States, near the Kansas border. Located four miles from the Kansas border at an elevation of , Holly is the least elevated town in Colorado...
. As of November 1, 2011, there have been 29 deaths and 139 total confirmed cases since the beginning of the first recorded case on July 31, 2011. It is the worst foodborne illness
Foodborne illness
Foodborne illness is any illness resulting from the consumption of contaminated food, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as chemical or natural toxins such as poisonous mushrooms.-Causes:Foodborne illness usually arises from improper handling, preparation, or...
outbreak in the United States, measured by the number of deaths, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
began tracking outbreaks in the 1970s, or tied with the worst, an outbreak of listeria from cheese
1985 California listeriosis outbreak in cheese
The 1985 California listeria outbreak was in Mexican style soft cheese made by Jalisco in California. There were 48 or 52 deaths, including 19 stillbirths and 10 infant deaths...
in 1985, depending on which CDC report is used.
Origin and spread
Holly, Colorado
Holly is an historic Statutory Town in Prowers County in southeastern Colorado, United States, near the Kansas border. Located four miles from the Kansas border at an elevation of , Holly is the least elevated town in Colorado...
after Listeria monocytogenes was found in cantaloupe samples at a Jensen Farms store in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and at the farm's packaging plant. The batch of cantaloupes had been shipped out over a period from July 29 through September 10 to twenty-five states, including Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
The outbreak was first reported by the Centers for Disease Control on September 12, where they stated that "fifteen people in four states had been infected". On September 21, a new report was released by the CDC, bringing the number of deaths to 13 and the number of confirmed cases to 72. The report also stated that further deaths were being investigated to determine if they had also been caused by Listeria infection. The CDC report also stated that, as Listeria "only sickens the elderly, pregnant women and others with compromised immune systems", the median
Median
In probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the numerical value separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to...
age of all the people that had been infected was 78. On September 30, an update was released by the CDC, reporting that as of 11 a.m. (EDT) 29 Sep 2011 the number of confirmed cases was 84, number of deaths was 15 and the number of states involved was 19. On October 4, the CDC updated their report to 100 infected individuals in 20 states and a total of 18 deaths from the outbreak. The outbreak was shown to have continued to spread to new states, with the CDC update on October 7 stating that the number of cases had risen to 109 in 23 states and that three more people had died to bring the death toll to 21. The CDC update on October 12 put the number of cases at 116 with 23 deaths. An update on October 18 increased the number of cases to 123 and the number of deaths to 25. The October 25 update raised the amount of cases to 133, with three more people dying to raise the total to 28.
Listeria infections can cause pregnant women to miscarry; the first miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
attributed to the 2011 outbreak was reported in early October, in a woman living in Iowa. Pregnant women often are advised to avoid foods, such as unpasteurized
Pasteurization
Pasteurization is a process of heating a food, usually liquid, to a specific temperature for a definite length of time, and then cooling it immediately. This process slows microbial growth in food...
cheese and hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
s, that are known to have the potential to carry Listeria, but fruits such as cantaloupe had not previously been identified as sources of concern.
No list of retailers selling the infected cantaloupes has been released by either the government or Jensen Farms. Although the last shipment was September 10 and the fruit has a two-week shelf life, as of September 29, the number of illnesses and deaths was expected to continue rising, because the incubation period could exceed one month.
Recalls by retailers which had sold the Jensen Farms cantaloupes include Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
(September 15), Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
(September 15), Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
(September 16), and US Foods
US Foods
US Foods is one of the country’s leading foodservice distributors. With nearly $19 billion in annual revenue, US Foods is the 10th largest private company in America. Many of the entities that make up US Foods were founded in the 19th century, including one that sold provisions to travelers...
(September 16).
FDA investigation
An investigation by the Food and Drug AdministrationFood and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
(FDA) found that the contaminated cantaloupe harvest contained four separate Listeria monocytogenes strains, which the governmental agency found to be "unusual", but was still trying to determine the reason. On October 20, it was reported that the FDA officials had found listeria on dirty, corroded equipment used by Jensen Farms, which had been bought used and was previously utilized for potato farming. It was stated by the government that the "equipments' past use may have played a role in the contamination". Water contaminated with listeria was also found on the floor of the packing plant and it was determined that the workers moving around the plant had spread it, as the contaminated water was also found on the cantaloupe conveyor belt
Conveyor belt
A conveyor belt consists of two or more pulleys, with a continuous loop of material - the conveyor belt - that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley...
. It was noted by officials that Jensen Farms had "passed a food safety audit by an outside contractor" six days before the outbreak.
The method of how the listeria bacteria first came to be in the plant is still unknown, as the soil on the farm was determined to be clear of the bacteria. It is suspected, however, that a "dump truck used to take culled melons to a cattle farm...could have brought bacteria to the facility".
House Energy and Commerce Committee investigation
On October 21, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, a committee panel of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, began its own investigation into the outbreak. The Committee "requested a staff briefing from Jensen Farms" and all of the documents they had on the incident. They also requested information from the FDA, CDC, and other governmental groups.
Jensen Farms response
In response to the initial reports by the CDC on the contaminated cantaloupe, Jensen Farms issued a voluntary recall on September 15 of the entire harvest crop of 300,000 cantaloupe that it had distributed to its chain stores. The FDA made the public announcement for the recall after Listeria infection was confirmed by Jensen Farms at its main Colorado branch. Jensen Farms was also forced to temporarily shut down its processing plant while the recall is ongoing. Government officials have been investigating the company's main facility in Colorado to determine if there was "animal or water contamination", but there have been no results from the investigation thus far. Holly, ColoradoHolly, Colorado
Holly is an historic Statutory Town in Prowers County in southeastern Colorado, United States, near the Kansas border. Located four miles from the Kansas border at an elevation of , Holly is the least elevated town in Colorado...
residents were described as being left "reeling and in fear" because of the disaster for its local producer.
Political responses
The FDA has stated in response to the extensive bacterial outbreak that it is "yet another reason to fully implement the Food Safety Modernization ActFood Safety Modernization Act
The Food Safety Modernization Act , also called the Food Safety Act, was signed into law on January 4, 2011.-HR2751:The as yet unratified law gives the Food and Drug Administration the authority to order recalls of contaminated food, amongst other powers not here disclosed, a power it did not have...
." Sherri McGarry, a senior adviser for the FDA, stated that, "We're going to take these lessons learned, share that with our partners and industries, CDC and the states, and what we want to do is we want to really prevent this from happening in the future."
Also, in response to an auditor passing Jensen Farms food safety methods and failing to notice the listeria bacteria in the plant, the deputy commissioner of foods, Michael R. Taylor, had stated that he intends to "establish standards for how auditors should be trained and how audits should be conducted."
Lawsuit
On September 15, a lawsuit was filed against Jensen Farms by the first victim of the contaminated cantaloupe crop, who had fallen ill and been kept in the hospital for several weeks. He and his wife were involved in the legal proceedings. In addition to Jensen Farms, the couple also sued a Walmart branch in Colorado Springs, ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where they had bought the cantaloupe, for selling unsafe food.
See also
- 2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreak2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreakThe 2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreak was a widespread outbreak of listeriosis in Canada linked to cold cuts from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto, Ontario. 22 people died and there were 57 total confirmed cases.-Origin and spread:...
- Deadliest foodborne illness incidents
- List of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States
External links
- Information on listeria from the Centers for Disease Control
- Information on listeriosis outbreaks from the Centers for Disease Control
- Consumer Safety Information on the Recalled Whole Cantaloupes by Jensen Farms from FDA Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network