Deadly listeria outbreak linked to chicken alfredo fettuccine sold at Kroger and Walmart
12.3-ounce trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of June 26 or earlier.
12.5-ounce trays of Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettucine Alfredo with Pasta, Grilled White Meat Chicken and Parmesan Cheese, with best-by dates of June 19 or earlier.
The strain of listeria bacteria that made people sick was found in a sample of chicken fettuccine alfredo during a routine inspection in March, U.S. Agriculture Department officials said. That product was destroyed and never sent to stores.
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Officials said they have not identified the specific source of the contamination. Cases have been identified through retail shopper records and interviews with sick people.
The listeria strain tied to the outbreak has been detected in people who fell ill between July 24 and May 10, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The deaths were in Illinois, Michigan and Texas. Cases have been reported in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
The number of sick people is likely higher than now known and cases may be detected in additional states. Officials are continuing to receive reports of illnesses linked to the product and 'are concerned that contamination is still occurring,' the CDC said.
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Consumers shouldn't eat the products, which may be in their refrigerators or freezers. They should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Listeria infections can cause serious illness, particularly in older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those who are pregnant or their newborns. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.
About 1,600 people get sick each year from listeria infections and about 260 die, the CDC said. Federal officials in December said they were revamping protocols to prevent listeria infections after several high-profile outbreaks, including one linked
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