Hard-Boiled Eggs Linked To Listeria Outbreak: Four People Hospitalized, One Dead

Another outbreak has spread across the U.S, this time it for hard-boiled eggs, which may be contaminated with Listeria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a five-state outbreak has been linked to hard-boiled eggs that have hospitalized four people and led to the death of another individual.

The Listeria outbreak has sickened a total of seven people in the states of Florida, Maine, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. According to the CDC, the illnesses have included a newborn that was infected with Listeria from the mother while pregnant. The newborn has survived the illness, the CDC said.

The CDC also said the Listeria outbreak is likely linked to bulk, fresh hard-boiled eggs produced by Almark Foods. The hard-boiled eggs were peeled and packaged in plastic pails and sold under various brands nationwide by food-service operators that include both grocery stores and restaurants.

The agency has issued a warning against selling, serving, or using the hard-boiled eggs in foods, including egg salad. The CDC said the warning does not include hard-boiled eggs produced at home.

Consumers that have purchased store-bought or products containing hard-boiled eggs should throw them away. They should not be eaten, and all drawers and shelves in refrigerators and freezers should be washed and sanitized.

Listeria infection is most susceptible to pregnant women and their newborn babies, elderly adults, and those with weakened immune systems. Listeria can cause fever and flu-like symptoms, including fatigue and muscle aches. Pregnant women that have a Listeria infection can suffer miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of their newborn baby.

Other Listeria symptoms include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Symptoms typically start one to four weeks after eating the contaminated food. Treatment includes antibiotics.