I spoke with a family today to inform them that their husband/father died after suffering a Listeria infection. Until today the family did not know the cause of his infection despite that fact that it has been known by local, state and federal officials for over a year.
He is PNUSAL022839 and linked to Listeria Outbreak 1812MLGX6-1. He was in a hospital recovering from another illness when he drank a Listeria-tainted Supplemental Shake.
Why are victims of outbreaks blood and/or spinal fluid samples taken and analyzed, they and/or families interviewed about what they ate and where they were in the last 3-70 days, credit card and other receipts taken, but they are never told the cause of the illness or death? How many others of the 42 or their families remain in the dark as to why they or a loved one became sick, and in 10 instances died?
Why?
A total of 42 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes were reported from 21 states – Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from August 17, 2018, to March 13, 2025. Of 42 people with information available, 41 were hospitalized. A total of 14 deaths were reported from 9 states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. Most people in this outbreak reported living in long-term care facilities or were hospitalized prior to becoming sick.
The true number of sick people in this outbreak was likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria.
Public health officials collect many different types of information from sick people, including their age, race, ethnicity, other demographics, and the foods they ate in the month before they got sick. This information provides clues to help investigators identify the source of the outbreak.
On February 22, 2025, Lyons Magnus LLC initiated a recall of 4 oz. Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes.
