At Least 1 MI Death Linked To Widespread Listeria Outbreak

At least one person in Michigan has died in a listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat pasta meals at popular retailers, the FDA says.

Back in September, Federal health officials issued a warning to shoppers about ready-to-eat pasta meals sold at Kroger, Walmart and Trader Joe’s. Officials said these meals may be contaminated with Listeria and linked to a previous outbreak.

And Now, the CDC is reporting that the outbreak has led to six deaths and 25 hospitalizations in 18 states, including Michigan, which reported two illnesses, including a fatality. In total, 27 cases have been identified, including one pregnancy-related that resulted in fetal loss, illness per the CDC.

In addition to Michigan, deaths linked to the outbreak have been reported in Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon, Texas and Utah.

The CDC traced the outbreak to contaminated precooked pasta sold by Nate’s Fine Foods, including the 9.6-ounce packages of Scott & Jon's shrimp scampi with linguini bowls with use by dates in March 2027. They were sold at Michigan Kroger, Walmart and Trader Joe’s stores.

According to health officials, one of the producing companies collected samples of the pre-cooked pasta used in its product as part of an investigation related to the Listeria outbreak previously linked to chicken fettuccine alfredo meals.

The test confirmed that the linguine pasta was positive for Listeria, officials said. Further testing is ongoing to determine if the Listeria is genetically related to the specific outbreak strain.

Customers who have purchased these products are urged not to eat them and to throw away the products or return them to the place of purchase.

Eating food contaminated with Listeria can cause Listeriosis, officials said, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

In pregnant women, the infection can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. Serious and sometimes fatal infections can also occur in older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics, though health officials said people in higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell their health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

To learn more, you can view the public health alert here.