2 New Yorkers Hospitalized From Listeria Outbreak: CDC

NEW YORK — Two New Yorkers are among 22 people hospitalized with Listeria in a nationwide outbreak that has killed one person in Illinois, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC had yet to determine the source of the infection as of Friday.

The majority of those diagnosed with Listeria — a bacterial infection caused by eating contaminated food — either lived in or visited Florida, according to the CDC.

Listeria has been reported in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Georgia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but health officials warn the disease might be more widespread as some people recover from it without treatment or testing.

Since the beginning of 2022, there have been 16 cases and some illnesses date back as far as January 2021, according to the CDC.

Seniors, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to severe illness from the infection, health officials said.

Symptoms include headaches, fever, muscle aches, stiffness in the neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, according to the agency.

Pregnant people with Listeria are at risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or passing on the infection to their baby, the CDC stated.

Health officials urge people who have symptoms, especially people in high-risk groups, to report them to a doctor and write down as much as they can remember about what they ate in the month before becoming ill.

Listeria, which can also cause intestinal illness, is caused by Listeria monocytogenes in contaminated food, according to the CDC.

The state health department said the city's health department is investigating the cases and provided a health fact sheet about the Listeria. The city health department was not available for comment at this time.