The Food and Drug Administration continues to monitor several foodborne illness outbreaks with rising patient counts. The agency has also closed one investigation.
For an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes traced to Fresh & Ready Foods LLC, the FDA has determined that the outbreak has ended. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 10 people cross two states were sickened. Of the 10 patients, all 10 needed to be hospitalized and one death was reported.
The fatal outbreak was traced to Fresh & Ready Foods. The company initiated a recall of more than 80 products. Illnesses started on dates ranging from December 2023 through September 2024.
“The true number of sick people in this outbreak was likely much higher than the number reported, and this outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria,” according to the CDC.
Public health investigators used the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that were part of this outbreak. The CDC’s PulseNet manages a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. DNA fingerprinting is performed on bacteria using a method called whole genome sequencing (WGS).
On March 31, 2025, FDA collected environmental samples for testing at Fresh & Ready Foods LLC. WGS showed that the Listeria in the environmental isolates were closely related to bacteria from sick people. This means that people likely got sick from eating ready-to-eat foods made by Fresh & Ready Foods LLC. Listeria can persist for years at room temperatures and in cold and freezing environments.
In other outbreak news, the patient count in an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg infections has increased to 24, up from 22 a week ago. The FDA has not reported how old the patients are or where they live. The FDA has not yet determined a source of the pathogen. The agency has begun traceback efforts but has not reported what food it is tracing. The FDA first posted the outbreak on July 16.
For an outbreak of Cyclospora cayetanensis infections, the patient count has increased to 58, up from 57 a week ago. The FDA has not yet determined a cause of the outbreak. The agency has not reported where the patients live or what their ages are. The FDA has begun traceback but has not reported what food it is tracing. The microscopic parasite is most ofter found on fresh produce and cannot be washed off. It can be killed by cooking. The FDA first posted the outbreak on July 16.
For an outbreak of SalmonellaAnatum linked to frozen, sprouted beans, the FDA updated the advisory to include a link to the Hindi translation of the webpage. The FDA initiated an onsite inspection and has begun sample testing. Infected people reported eating the sprouted beans before becoming sick. Chetak LLC Group has begun a recall of its frozen sprouts in relation to the outbreak. The FDA first posted information on July 9.
For information on on additional outbreaks, click here.
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