Wisconsin health officials link resident's death to recalled Dole packaged salads
There have been 17 illnesses, 13 hospitalizations in over a dozen states
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Health officials in Wisconsin have tied one death to the recalled packaged salads produced by Dole.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has been investigating the multi-state outbreak of listeria monocytogenes infections that have been tied to the packaged salads.
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As of Feb. 7, the Wisconsin health officials reported "one laboratory-confirmed death linked to this outbreak."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has been tracking two separate listeria outbreaks,"epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that packaged salads produced by Dole are contaminated with Listeria and making people sick."
Listeria Outbreak Linked to Packaged Salads Produced by Dole (CDC)
In more than a dozen states, there have been 17 illnesses and 13 hospitalizations connected with the outbreak, according to CDC data. There have also been two reported deaths.
Dole representatives did not respond to FOX Business' request for comment.
The recalled packaged salads were sold under 11 brand names including Dole, HEB, Kroger, Lidl, Nature’s Promise and Simply Nature.
DOLE RECALLS SALAD PRODUCTS OVER LISTERIA CONCERNS
The affected products include mixed greens, garden salads, Caesar kits as well as "many other types of salads in bags or clamshells," according to the CDC.
The products have "best if used by" dates from Nov. 30, 2021, through Jan. 9, 2022, and the product lot code begins with the letter "B," "N," "W," or "Y", according to the CDC.
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The company issued two separate recalls within the last few months regarding the Dole-branded and private label packaged salads from its Springfield, Ohio; Soledad, California; Bessemer City, North Carolina and Yuma, Arizona production facilities. Those products were distributed to over two dozen states.
"Dole collected samples from their facilities and equipment for testing and found Listeria on equipment used to harvest iceberg lettuce," the CDC said. The FDA then identified that the listeria on the equipment was the outbreak strain.
Healthy consumers who ingest food contained with listeria may suffer from symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, according to Dole's recall notice.
However, listeria can result in "serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems," the notice read. It can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.