| By Lizzy Adie.
From the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention. (CDC).
States and local health officials, CDC, and the US. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collaborating to investigate an Outbreak of Listeria Monocytogenes Infections (Listeriosis) linked to certain Blue Bell brand Ice Cream product.
Listeriosis is a life threatening infection caused by eating food conterminted with the bacterium (germ) Listeria Monocytogenes. Five infected with one of four strains of Listeria Monocytogenes were reported from Kansas.
All five people were hospitalized at the same hospital for unrelated problems before developing invasive Listeriosis – a finding that strongly suggest their infections acquired in the hospital.
Three death were reported among these five patients of the four ill people for whom information is available on the food eaten in the month before Listeria infection, all four consumed milkshakes made with a single – service Blue Bell brand ice cream product called “scoops” while they were in the hospital.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture(KDA) laboratory isolated Listeria Monocytogenes from a Previously unopened single serving Blue Bell brand 3oz. Institutional /food service chocolate ice cream cup obtained in March 2015 from the hospital associated with this Outbreak.
On March 23, 2015, Blue Bell ice cream of Brenham, Texas, announced a recall of 3oz.institutional /food service ice cream cup (with tab lids) of the following flavors: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
CDC recommends that consumers do not eat recalled products and that institutions and retailers do not sell or serve them. Investigation into whether other products were produced on the same line as the 3oz.institutional /food service ice cream cups is ongoing, and new information will be provided as it becomes available. Blue Bell creameries reported that these products were removed from the market in March 2015. However, conterminated ice cream product may still be in the freezers of consumers, institutions, and retailers.
CDC recommends that consumers do not eat any products that Blue Bell creameries recalled or removed from the market. This investigation is ongoing, and new information will be provided as it becomes available.
www.cdc. gov.com.
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