One Person Dead, Three Hospitalized From Listeria Outbreak Linked To Tyson Foods Recall

The recent listeria outbreak has taken a deadly turn as Tyron Foods scrambles to recall many of their pre-cooked chicken products.

The CDC posted a warning online, confirming that one person has died and three others remain in the hospital following the outbreak. The cases took place across two states linking “listeria monocytogenes illnesses to pre-cooked chicken produced at Tyson Foods Inc.”

What makes listeria so severe is that it can lead to critical illnesses known as “invasive listeriosis,” which occurs when bacteria spread to other parts of the body. Symptoms are not immediate, usually appearing one to four weeks after ingesting the contaminated foods. In many cases, symptoms are not present until ten weeks after consumption. Those who are pregnant, at least 65 years old, or have weakened immune systems are at higher risk for experiencing extreme sickness or death.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) stated that the death occurred between April 6th and June 5th, 2021. The agency says that they collected pre-cooked chicken samples from Tyson Foods Inc. that were “related genetically to Listeria monocytogenes from ill people.”

Now, the CDC and FSIS are working together to investigate the outbreak further.

Tyson initially recalled approximately 8.5 million pounds of frozen chicken products. They announced last week that another 500,000 pounds would be recalled. All recalled products were manufactured at a plant in Dexter, Missouri, between December 26th, 2020, and April 13th, 2021.