State health officials say cantaloupe is the likely source of a now multistate outbreak of listeria infection that has killed two people in Colorado.
Nine cases of listeria infection in Colorado have been linked to the outbreak. Two potentially related cases have been reported in Texas and another in Nebraska, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
A previous, though unrelated, outbreak killed two people in Colorado in June.
The health department is working with the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities to pinpoint the source of the potentially contaminated cantaloupe.
Until the source is identified, officials say, at-risk individuals should steer clear of the melon — whole, cut or in grab-and-go cups.
“We are not blaming anyone at this point, but we want to reduce the potential infection,” said Dr. Chris Urbina, chief medical officer and executive director of the state health department.
Those at high risk include the elderly, people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women.
Two people in Colorado died from listeriosis, but only one of those cases has been linked to the multistate outbreak.
Health officials use a bacteria footprint, which is like a fingerprint, to link the infections.
Lab results on four of the 13 cases are “pending or are not linked to the multistate investigation,” Urbina said.
Health officials typically interview those affected by listeria to establish a common link to the food-borne disease.
All nine of Colorado’s confirmed linked cases said they consumed cantaloupe. Officials will now start testing cantaloupe producers to determine the source of the outbreak.
Listeria cases in Colorado have been confirmed in the following counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld.
All of the reported cases resulted in hospitalization.
Victims range in age from the 38 to the 90s, Urbina said. The majority of victims are women.
Healthy adults rarely develop the illness, Urbina said.
People at risk of listeriosis should also avoid deli meats — unless reheated to an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit — refrigerated pâte or meat spreads, and refrigerated smoked seafood. Soft cheeses such as queso fresco and brie should also be avoided unless they’re made with pasteurized milk.
Symptoms of infection can appear as quickly as a day after exposure or as long as three weeks, Urbina said. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, confusion and convulsions.
Listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths, the health department warns. However, antibiotics, given promptly, can help cure the illness and prevent infection of a fetus.
Caitlin Gibbons: 303-954-1638 or cgibbons@denverpost.com
Staff writer Kieran Nicholson contributed to this report.
