CA Company Linked To Listeria Outbreak That Killed 6, Caused Miscarriage: FDA

A deadly listeria outbreak that has impacted 18 states and killed six people was linked to recalled frozen meals that sourced pasta from a California company, federal health officials said.

As of Oct. 30, six people have died and 25 have been hospitalized due to the outbreak, according to the most recent update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In total, 27 cases have been identified, including three in California.

In one case, a pregnant woman miscarried after getting sick, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The outbreak was first announced in June and has caused a series of recalls of prepared pasta meals. An investigation into the outbreak traced the illnesses to recalled ready-to-eat pasta meals that sourced pasta from Nate's Fine Foods, based in Roseville in Northern California, according to the FDA.

"Nate's Fine Foods is committed to the highest standards of food safety and the well-being of our consumers," the company said in a statement posted on its website. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are voluntarily recalling select products after being notified of a potential link to a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes."

The meals were sold at grocery chains nationwide, including Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, Walmart and other major stores.

"Nate's Fine Foods, Inc., does not sell affected products direct to retail," the FDA said. "The firm is working with the FDA and their customers to determine if additional recalls are needed."

Cases have been reported in 18 states: California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

"This outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses, and the true number of sick people is likely higher than the number reported," according to the CDC.

Eating food contaminated with Listeria can cause Listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns, according to the FDA.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In pregnant women, the infection can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics, though health officials said people in higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell their health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

View the public health alert here.