Listeria Outbreak Linked to Florida

(RxWiki News) Health officials are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Listeria that appears to be tied to living in or visiting Florida.

While the investigation was still underway and the link was not confirmed, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said nearly all of the people who had become sick so far lived in or traveled to Florida prior to falling ill.

As of the time of publication, 23 people had been diagnosed with Listeria infection tied to this outbreak. Of those, 22 had been hospitalized and one had died.

Five of those who had become sick were pregnant, and one illness resulted in the loss of the fetus, the CDC reported.

Typically, outbreaks of Listeria are tied to a contaminated food source. In this case, officials had not yet identified a contaminated food. However, they did find out that, while those who had become ill were diagnosed in 10 different states, nearly all had lived in or traveled to Florida prior to becoming sick.

Listeria is a type of bacteria that can cause acute illness when it spreads past the gut micro-biome. Symptoms typically include muscle aches, fever and fatigue. Pregnant women, newborns and elderly adults all face higher risks from Listeria infection.

Symptoms of Listeria usually begin within two weeks of exposure, although that time frame can vary widely in some cases.

The CDC was encouraging anyone with symptoms of Listeria infection to speak with their doctors, particularly if they had recently traveled to Florida.

The agency said it would continue to release updates as more information became available.