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At least 10 people hospitalized in US due to listeria outbreak, FDA links it to prepared food

The US FDA added that the listeria linked products by Fresh & Ready Foods were sold in Arizona, California, Nevada and Washington at locations which include retailers, hospitals, hotels.

This 2002 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium. (Elizabeth White/CDC via AP, File)

At least 10 people have been hospitalized in the US due to the outbreak of listeria which has been linked to ready-to-eat food products, as a producer is reportedly recalling several products, federal officials said.

The US Food and Drug Administration said on Saturday that federal, state and local officials are investigating the listeria outbreak which has sickened at least 10 people who belong to California and Nevada. The listeria outbreak has been linked to foods produced by Fresh & Ready Foods of San Fernando, California.

The US FDA added that the listeria linked products by Fresh & Ready Foods were sold in Arizona, California, Nevada and Washington at locations which include retailers, hospitals, hotels, convenience stores, airports and for airlines, Associated Press reported.

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Symptoms of listeria usually show up within two weeks of consuming the contaminated product. If the person suffers with a mild case, the symptoms would include fever, muscle aches, nausea, tiredness, vomiting and diarrhea. A more severe version of the listeria symptoms include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.

Federal officials had started investigating the recent listeria outbreak in 2024 but due to a lack of evidence, they couldn’t identify the source of the infections. The investigations were reopened in April after FDA officials found similar strain in the samples collected from Fresh & Ready Foods in the recent listeria outbreak.

In a press release, Fresh & Ready Foods said that it took corrective measures as soon as it was informed about the listeria outbreak linked to its products and removed equipment to address the issue.

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