The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that at least thirteen people have died after eating bacteria-tainted cantaloupe. The outbreak initially was reported on September 12, 2011, when the CDC announced that fifteen people in four states had been infected with Listeria monocytogenes. Presently, the CDC attributes 72 illnesses in 18 states to the outbreak.
The contamination has been traced to Rocky Ford cantaloupes grown at Jensen Farms in Granada, Colorado. On September 14, 2011, Jensen Farms announced a recall of cantaloupes shipped between July 29, 2011 and September 10, 2011 to the following states:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Wyoming
Listeriosis causes fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. It is particularly dangerous for older adults, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women.