withdrawn from the market contaminated lots after 6 suspected deaths and another 66 hospitalizations – breaking latest news

An outbreak of listeriosis, an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, has hit Italy. According to the notification that the Italian health authorities sent on August 2 to the rapid alert system for food and feed (Rasff) of the European Commission the contamination it could be linked to 3 suspected deaths and be the cause of another 66 cases of intoxicated people who ended up in hospital recorded in recent months. Five days ago, the Ministry of Health published a notice on its portal stating that “attention remains high following the increase in clinical cases of alimentary listeriosis recorded in various Italian regions, due to the contamination of food by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes».

The first reports in 2020

In reality cases of listeria have been observed in various Italian regions since 2020. The three deaths occurred in December 2021 and March and June 2022 and, the Ministry of Health underline, concern people who were already in precarious health conditions. The 66 hospitalizations, on the other hand, occurred over the past two years. The disease is present all over the world: usually occurs sporadically, with a higher incidence in rural areas than in urban areas. The precise way in which humans become infected is unclear the bacterium can enter the body by inhalation, or by ingestion of contaminated food, probably in relation to direct contact with infected animals or individuals. Following these reports, the Ministry of Health has set up a working group to cope with the spread of the bacterium. The checks carried out «revealed a correlation between some of the clinical cases and the presence of strain of Listeria ST 155 in wϋrstel based on poultry meat produced by the Tre Valli farm – IT 04 M CE. The presence was also confirmed by sampling carried out at the plant ”, reads the note from the ministry.

Collection of food products by operators

The dicastery specifies that «the company has initiated all measures to protect the consumer with the withdrawal of positive batches (1785417 and 01810919) and, in application of the principle of maximum precaution, of all those produced before 12 September 2022. It has also implemented a communication that reinforces what has already been indicated on the products directly in the points of sale. Further investigations are currently underway on other matrices and other types of products which could be related to human cases of listeriosis’.

What is Listeria and where is it found

Listeria monocytogenes, responsible for listeriosis, is a ubiquitous bacterium that it can be present in the soil, water and vegetation and can contaminate various foods such as milk, vegetables, soft cheeses, undercooked meats, and slightly seasoned sausages. The main route of transmission for humans is food. Healthy children and adults may occasionally become infected, but rarely develop severe disease unlike in debilitated, immunosuppressed, and pregnant women whose disease is more severe. The severity of the symptoms varies considerably according to the infectious dose and the state of health of the affected individual. And it will give shape flu-like or gastrointestinal, sometimes accompanied by high fever up to, in subjects at risk, septicemic forms, meningitis or abortion. Listeria monocytogenes is very resistant to low temperatures and drying, in food stored at refrigeration temperature (4 ° C). On the other hand, it is very sensitive to the usual domestic cooking temperatures of food.

What to do: hygiene in the kitchen and cooking of food

The Ministry of Health invites consumers to pay maximum attention to the correct methods of storage, preparation and consumption of foodi, in the specific case of frankfurters, indicated precisely on the label on the package, which normally involve cooking before consumption. «The adoption of simple rules of hygiene in the handling of food, even at home, it reduces the risk of contracting the disease. In particular: wash your hands oftenfrequently clean all surfaces and materials that come into contact with food (utensils, small appliances, refrigerator, dish towels and sponges); keep raw, cooked and ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator separately and inside closed containers; ccook food well following the manufacturer’s instructions on the label; do not prepare food too early to be consumed after cooking (if not, keep them in the fridge and reheat them before consumption); do not leave perishable foods at room temperature and respect the storage temperature indicated on the label ».