Listeria Outbreak: Death Toll Reaches 25; Deadly Cantaloupes Affect 26 States
The listeria outbreak that has been traced back to tainted cantaloupes from Colorado is now linked to 25 deaths.
The Center for Disease Control on Tuesday reported that more than 123 people nationwide have been affected by the Listeria outbreak across 26 states. It is now the most significant food related illness to hit the United States in more than 25 years.
As of the beginning of this week, six people have died in Colorado and another five in New Mexico. From Texas, Kansas, New York and Louisiana, two people have died in each state. At least one person has died in each of the following states: Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Those affected include one woman who suffered a miscarriage.
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Amid the Listeria outbreak, scientists are working on research that may provide a solution for treating the infection caused by tainted cantaloupes and similar sepsis-causing bacteria.
Members of the Trudeau Institute are currently examining how the bacteria are able to disperse throughout the body and resulting in lethal sepsis. The study used genetically altered mice without the ability to create factor XI (FXI) which is targeted to aid in blood clotting.
The mice without a blood-clotting influence were shown to have an enhanced capability to endure high doses of Listeria injections.
Normal mice that were treated with an antibody designed to control FXI production, and a regimen of antibiotics also demonstrated improved health when directly exposed to septic Listeria infection.
“I was really intrigued by our finding that clotting protects against Listeria because so many other studies had shown that clotting blood vessels and contributes to organ failure and death during septic infections,” said Dr. Stephen Smiley of the Trudeau Institute.
“Our finding suggested that some degree of blood clotting is essential for effective immune defense, but too much is harmful. WE set out in search of ways to prevent the bad clotting while maintaining the good,” Smiley said.
The origin of the outbreak, Jensen Farms in Colorado, has been arduously working to keep cantaloupes off store shelves. Farm owner Eric Jensen said they are currently unable to provide a detailed list of locations where the produce may have been distributed to because the product has been sold and re-sold.
“There has been a laser focus on improving the traceability so any recall can identify the affected product immediately and not have an effect on the rest of the entire category,” said Ray Gilmer of the United Fresh Produce Association.
“The stakes for a large company to have a food safety incident are huge. It could destroy their company,” he explained.
Although Listeria has swept the nation and devastated several families, scientists believe they are one step closer to finding a suitable treatment.
“The paper we’ve just published is our first demonstration of this exciting new approach to treating sepsis,” said Smiley.
“We found that FXI is overproduced during septic Listeria infections and that therapeutics targeting FXI can reduce septic disease while maintaining immune defense.”
