Epidemiologic and traceback data show that as of Aug. 10, two people have been hospitalized in New York state and Pennsylvania after eating the brand's vanilla chocolate ice cream and getting sick, said the CDC. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) collected an unopened sample from an ill person's home and found it positive for L. monocytogenes.
The Brooklyn-based Real Kosher Ice Cream, meanwhile, has been cooperating with the FDA. It has voluntarily recalled all flavors of the ice cream linked to the outbreak:
- Soft Serve On The Go Vanilla Chocolate
- Soft Serve On The Go Razzle
- Soft Serve On The Go Caramel
- Soft Serve On The Go Parve Vanilla Chocolate
- Soft Serve On The Go Sorbet Strawberry Mango
- Soft Serve Lite Peanut Butter
All products made until Aug. 4 are being recalled. The company has also temporarily stopped production and distribution of these products as FDA and the company continue their investigation as to what caused the problem.
Soft Serve On The Go has been sold in canteens, convenience and grocery stores and served in camps, nursing homes and schools in Washington, D.C., California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The ice cream has also been distributed outside the U.S., to Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the U.K., the CDC said.
L. monocytogenes is the pathogen responsible for food poisoning
The patients suffered from listeriosis, a potentially dangerous sickness brought on by the bacterium L. monocytogenes. (Related: Food safety watchdogs issue warning over contaminated cheese; Brit dies amid listeria outbreak.)
Consuming tainted food exposes people to the microorganism. The risk of serious illness and death from listeria infection is highest in newborns, people over 65 and people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women.
People who get sick with a listeria infection can develop a fever. They may get sick to their stomach and have muscle aches, a headache, stiff neck, confusion and loss of balance and they could go into convulsions, seizures or die. For women who are pregnant, a listeria infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths or premature birth.
An estimated 1,600 Americans get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die, according to CDC data.
Many people, especially if they're not in one of the higher-risk groups, recover from listeriosis without medical care and don't get tested for L. monocytogenes, the CDC said.
The CDC added that investigations of such outbreaks take time, "the true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses."
The CDC emphasized that people should refrain from consuming Soft Serve On The Go ice cream cups while the investigation is ongoing.
Any of these products that are in people's homes should be thrown away or returned to the store for a refund because L. monocytogenes can live in subfreezing temperatures.
Hospitals, businesses and long-term care facilities in particular should be mindful not to sell or serve ice cream cups.
After consuming the ice cream, consumers must seek immediate medical attention if they experience any symptoms of listeriosis, such as confusion, fatigue, fever, headaches, loss of balance, muscle aches, stiff necks or seizures.
Listeria symptoms often appear two weeks after consuming contaminated food. However, they might occasionally appear as soon as that day or as late as ten weeks later.
Visit CleanFoodWatch.com for more stories about listeriosis infections from contaminated food items.
Watch the following video that discusses if L. monocytogenes infections are responsible for the recent surges in hospitalizations.
This video is from the 1Human channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
CDC: Listeria outbreak linked to deli meat and cheesy kills 1, infects 16.
Listeria outbreak strikes frozen foods: 47 MILLION pounds recalled; be careful what you consume.
FDA unveils plan to combat DEADLY bacterial outbreak in baby formula.
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