Mysterious Listeria Outbreak Hits PA

PENNSYLVANIA — A Listeria outbreak of unknown origin has sickened dozens around the country, includring in Pennsylvania, and left one dead, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday.

Pennsylvania only has one confirmed case thus far. The majority of the sickened individauls either live in Florida, or visited the state in the month before they fell ill.

All told, 23 people have reported illnesses, and 22 have been hospitalized, according to health officials.

Of the 23 patients, 12 live in Florida and two each live in New York and Massachusetts. Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey each have one Listeria case. Health officials warned that the outbreak might not be limited to these states because some people recover from Listeria without treatment or testing.

The illnesses date back to January 2021 but have increased in frequency with 16 cases since the beginning of 2022, according to the CDC.

Pregnant people, those over age 65 and others with weakened immune systems are most at-risk of severe illness from Listeria. Symptoms include headaches, fever, muscle aches, stiffness in the neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. During pregnancy, Listeria can cause a miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or health complications for the baby.

Health officials urge people who have Listeria symptoms, especially those in high-risk groups, to report them to a doctor and write down as much as they can remember about what they ate in the month before showing symptoms.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Jeffrey Perkins