Outbreak of Listeria Infections Linked to Pork Products
Final Update
Posted January 29, 2019 at 1:00 PM ET
This outbreak appears to be over. In general, people who are at higher risk for Listeria infection should avoid eating hot dogs, lunch meats, cold cuts, other deli meats (such as bologna), or fermented or dry sausages unless they are heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot just before serving. Learn more about how you can take steps to prevent Listeria infection.
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) investigated a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to pork products produced by Long Phung Food Products. As of January 29, 2019, this outbreak appears to be over.
- Reported Cases: 4
- States: 4
- Hospitalizations: 4
- Deaths: 0
- Recall: Yes
Recall
- On November 20, 2018, 165368 C. Corporation of Houston, Texas, doing business as Long Phung Food Products, recalledExternal ready-to-eat pork products because they might have been contaminated with Listeria bacteria.
- Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled products from Long Phung Food Products.
- The full list of recalled ready-to-eat pork patty rolls is on the USDA-FSIS websiteExternal.
- Recalled products are labeled with establishment number “EST. 13561” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
- Recalled pork patty rolls were produced on various dates from May 21, 2018, through November 16, 2018. These items were shipped to distributors and retail locations nationwide.
- Recalled pork products should no longer be available in stores, but may still be in home freezers.
Advice
- Return the recalled pork products to the store for a refund or throw them away. Even if some of the product was eaten and no one got sick, do not eat it. If you do not know if the pork product you purchased was recalled, ask the place where you purchased it or throw it away.
- Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators and freezers where recalled pork products were stored. Follow these five steps to clean your refrigerator.
- Retailers should clean and sanitize deli slicersExternal and other areas where recalled pork products were prepared, stored, or served. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for sanitizer strength and application to ensure it is effective.
- If you develop symptoms of a Listeria infection after eating recalled pork products, contact a healthcare provider and tell them you ate recalled pork products. This is especially important if you are pregnant, age 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system.
- As of January 29, 2019, this outbreak appears to be over.
- Four people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes were reported from four states.
- Listeria specimens from ill people were collected from July 1, 2017, to October 24, 2018.
- Four people were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.
- Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicated that pork products from 165368 C. Corporation, doing business as Long Phung Food Products, were the likely source of the outbreak.
- On November 20, 2018, 165368 C. Corporation, doing business as Long Phung Food Products, recalledExternal ready-to-eat pork products because they might have been contaminated with Listeria.
- If you have eaten recalled pork products and do not have any symptoms of a Listeria infection, most experts believe that tests or treatment are not needed, even for people who have a higher chance of Listeria infection.
- In general, people who are at higher risk for Listeria infection should not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads from a deli or meat counter or from the refrigerated section of a store. Avoid eating hot dogs, lunch meats, cold cuts, other deli meats (such as bologna), or fermented or dry sausages unless they are heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot just before serving.
- Meat spreads and pâté that do not need refrigeration before opening, such as products in cans, jars, or sealed pouches, are a safer choice. Refrigerate these foods after opening. Learn more about how you can take steps to prevent Listeria infection.
- Listeriosis can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the person and the part of the body affected.
- Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
- People other than pregnant women: Symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches.
- People with invasive listeriosis usually report symptoms starting 1 to 4 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria bacteria; some people have reported symptoms starting as late as 70 days after exposure or as early as the same day of exposure. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics.
- Pregnant women and their newborns, adults age 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get sick with listeriosis.
January 29, 2019
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) investigated a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections.
Public health investigators used the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may have been part of this outbreak. PulseNet is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC. DNA fingerprinting was performed on Listeria bacteria isolated from ill people using a technique called whole genome sequencing (WGS). CDC PulseNet manages a national database of these DNA fingerprints to identify possible outbreaks. WGS performed on bacteria isolated from ill people showed that they were closely relatedly genetically. This means that people in this outbreak were more likely to share a common source of infection.
As of January 29, 2019, four people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes were reported from four states. A list of the states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Map of Reported Cases page.
Listeria specimens from ill people were collected from July 1, 2017, to October 24, 2018. Ill people ranged in age from 35 to 84 years, with a median age of 60 years. All four ill people were female, and all four ill people (100%) were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.
Investigation of the Outbreak
Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicated that pork products from 165368 C. Corporation of Houston Texas, doing business as Long Phung Food Products, were a likely source of this outbreak.
In interviews, ill people answered questions about the foods they ate and other exposures in the 4 weeks before they became ill. Four people were interviewed and all four reported eating Asian-style foods. Three ill people reported shopping at stores where Long Phung Food Products were sold.
WGS results of samples collected at the Long Phung Food Products facility showed that Listeria strains identified in the facility were closely related genetically to Listeria strains from ill people. These results provide more evidence that ill people became sick from eating contaminated pork products.
On November 20, 2018, 165368 C. Corporation, doing business as Long Phung Food Products, recalledExternal ready-to-eat pork products because they might have been contaminated with Listeria bacteria. Recalled pork products were produced from May 21, 2018, through November 16, 2018. Consumers should return them to the store for a refund or throw them away. Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell recalled Long Phung Food products.
As of January 29, 2019, this outbreak appears to be over.
