No food source has been identified as the cause of the epidemic, which has affected people in 10 states from January 2021 to June 12, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. It usually takes three or four weeks to determine if a disease is associated with an outbreak, so recent cases may not be reported. The actual number of patients is probably higher because some people are recovering without medical care, the agency said. Influenza symptoms of listeriosis – fever, vomiting and diarrhea – most often affect the elderly, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women, who can transmit it to their fetuses. Pregnant women are 10 times more likely to be infected than other people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms usually begin within two weeks of eating contaminated food. The CDC said people at higher risk of infection and having symptoms should talk to health care providers, especially if they have recently traveled to Florida. The organization asked the public for help in resolving the source of the epidemic. Those with symptoms should write down what they can remember about what they ate the month before they got sick, the CDC said. The man who died was living in Illinois, the agency said, adding that 12 of those who fell ill were living in Florida. New York and Massachusetts had two cases each, while Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey and Pennsylvania had one case each. The patients ranged in age from 1 to 92, with an average age of 72, the CDC said. “Five people fell ill during their pregnancy and one illness led to the loss of an embryo,” the agency said. Listeria bacteria are found in soil, water and animal feces. People can become infected by eating contaminated foods such as meat, unpasteurized milk, raw vegetables and certain processed foods such as hot dogs and cold cuts, according to the Mayo Clinic.
