Dole Salads Recalled For Listeria; One dead in listeria outbreak

The listeria outbreak has claimed the life of one person and it has downed 11 others after they ate a packaged salads linked to a listeria outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the packaged salads were sold under a variety of names and came from a processing facility in Springfield, Ohio, run by Dole.

The 11 person who were hospitalized are from Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Indiana. The fatality was in Michigan. Reports about these infections started coming in July.

An investigation began in September, the CDC said, but the source of the infections was unknown until this month when lab tests confirmed listeria in salads collected from the Springfield facility.

The CDC warns the public to stop eating salads packaged under the name Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar and President’s Choice. The salads are sold to restaurants as well. If you have one of these packaged salads in your fridge look for the letter “A” at the beginning of the manufacturing code. Those are the ones you want to throw away.

Listeria, known by its scientific name of Listeria monocytogenes, is the bacterium that causes listeriosis, an infection that affects the gastrointestinal tract. This is a serious infection with Symptoms include flu-like fever and muscle aches, upset stomach or diarrhea, stiff neck, headache, loss of balance, confusion, and convulsions. Awareness of the problem is your best defense.

Unfortunately, these symptoms are similar to many other illnesses, including the flu and illnesses caused by other bacteria and viruses. It’s best to contact your doctor and ask him or her about your symptoms if you do feel ill. Tell him you ate the recalled salads.