In an update of the deadliest food-borne illness outbreak in the United States in decades, 100 have fallen sick and 18 have died as a result of consuming contaminated cantaloupes, according to recent news sources.
The illnesses stemmed from cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in Colorado that were infected with Listeria monocytogenes. All illnesses were reported on or after July 31, 2011.
The deaths were reported in these states: 5 in New Mexico, 5 in Colorado, 2 in Kansas, 2 in Texas, and 1 each in Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
Those sickened involved the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Listeria contamination can cause serious infection that is especially dangerous to the very young, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. It has an incubation period of up to four weeks, so those infected may not know it at the time of consumption.
As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, consumer health is something that I am very conscious of and I know that even with tough rules and regulations on manufacturers, mistakes can still be made. I encourage anyone who is experiencing the symptoms of food poisoning to seek immediate medical attention. The product liability lawyer at our law firm sincerely hope that no one has been sickened by consuming the recalled fruit.