4 dead in listeria outbreak that has sickened people in 10 states

Four people are dead in a listeria outbreak that has now stretched from California to West Virginia. Federal officials said that, as of Monday, 35 people had been sickened in 10 states by an outbreak linked to whole cantaloupes from a Colorado farm.

The toll reportedly could rise to six; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating two deaths in New Mexico that could be related to the outbreak.

As of Monday, the CDC said, the outbreak had resulted in 12 cases of listeria in Colorado, six in Oklahoma, five in New Mexico, four in Nebraska, three in Texas and one each in California, Illinois, Indiana, Montana and West Virginia.

On Sept. 14, Colorado’s Jensen Farms voluntarily recalled melons shipped to at least 17 states from July 29 through Sept. 10. That day, the CDC warned consumers not to eat the producer’s Rocky Ford brand cantaloupes.

The listeria bacterium causes the illness listeriosis, which leads to fever, muscle aches and gastrointestinal distress. It poses the greatest danger to older adults, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems. At its most severe, the illness can lead to convulsions and death.

The ailment affects about 1,600 Americans annually and is treated with antibiotics.

Visit the CDC’s listeriosis page for more details on reducing your risk of infection. Here are some of the agency’s general precautions to help avoid listeriosis:

-- Rinse raw vegetables thoroughly under running tap water before eating.

-- Keep uncooked meats and poultry separate from vegetables and from cooked foods

-- Wash hands, knives, countertops and cutting boards after handling and preparing uncooked foods.

-- Consume perishable and ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible.