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Infant dies, 10 others infected amid meat-linked Listeria outbreak
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Infant dies, 10 others infected amid meat-linked Listeria outbreak

One infant has died and at least 10 others are infected amid a listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat meat in several states.

On Friday, November 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared an update showing the latest numbers related to the outbreak, days after several ready-to-eat meat and poultry products from Yu Shang Food were recalled.

According to the organization, the deceased infant was a twin and listeria was found in a sample taken from them and their mother. The child’s twin also died, but listeria was not found in their sample. (Another infant also reportedly became ill, but recovered, the CDC said.)

Those who became ill included one person in New York, another in New Jersey, two Illinois residents and seven people in California, according to the CDC, which said “the actual number of sick people is likely higher to the number reported.

“Some people recover without medical care and are not tested for listeria.,“, the CDC wrote. “Additionally, recent illnesses may not yet be reported because it typically takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak.”

Example of Yu Shang Food product.

USDA


The CDC detailed that seven people reported shopping at markets where Shang Food products were sold, and two people reported specifically eating Yu Shang Food chicken.

On October 21, “routine testing” by the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of contaminated products. A recall of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products was then issued on November 9, followed by an expanded recall on November 21, in response to Listeria monocytogenes infections.

Of the 11 infected people – whose samples were collected between October 24, 2021 and July 31, 2024 – the median age was 64, with all identifying as having Asian heritage, according to the CDC.

Laboratory data uncovered by the CDC suggests that people involved in the outbreak “got sick from the same food” after a method called “whole genome sequencing” found that samples from infected people were “closely genetically linked.

General image of a bacterial culture plate with chicken meat in the background.

Getty


The specific products recalled include all products with “Yu Shang” on the label, bearing establishment numbers “P46684” and “EST. M46684”, as well as all products manufactured before October 28.

According to the Food Safety and Inspection Servicethis includes more than 20 products in total, such as “Braised Pork Belly in Brown Sauce”, “Seasoned Pork Nose Meat” and “Seasoned Chicken Leg Quarter”.

“Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that mainly affects the elderly, people with weakened immune systems, as well as pregnant women and their newborns,” explained l USDA. “More rarely, people outside of these risk groups are affected.”

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Symptoms of listeriosis can include headache, fever, muscle aches, neck stiffness, confusion, loss of balance and “seizures sometimes preceded by diarrhea,” according to the USDA. the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature births and other outcomes in pregnant women.

Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Those who purchased the recalled products are asked to throw them away or return them to a store.