One Dead, At Least 15 Sick From Dole Salad Listeria Outbreak

The food company has voluntarily withdrawn salads that were packaged at its Springfield, Ohio, plant. Those currently ill from having consumed the salads range from ages 3 to 84.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) on Thursday announced that three more people have fallen ill after consumed Dole salads packaged at an Ohio plant. The salads were contaminated with listeriosis, a potentially life-threatening bacteria.

The 15 people infected in the outbreak so far are from eight states, according to the CDC: Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan (which had three infections and one death), Missouri, New Jersey, New York (which had five infections), and Pennsylvania. All have been hospitalized, and some have been interviewed by local and state health officials about their exposures to the bacteria.

Dole Fresh Vegetables announced last week that it had temporarily suspended operations at its Springfield, Ohio, plant due to a listeria outbreak in its packaged salads that has killed one person and infected at least 12.

In a statement, Dole said that only packaged salads marked by a product code beginning with "A" are affected by the withdrawal. The company instructed customers who had purchased the goods to dispose of them immediately.

According to the CDC, symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, and intestinal complications. Pregnant women, older people, and those with compromised immune systems are particularly at risk.

The Dole statement also clarified that other products from the company with different product codes (indicating that they were not processed in Springfield) are safe to eat.

The recall will affect 23 U.S. states, as well as the provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick, and Quebec in Canada.

Listeria outbreaks in the U.S. aren't uncommon. Last year, fears of listeria contamination spurred recalls from ice cream companies like Blue Bell and Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream (also based in Ohio), and Sabra Hummus.

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