CHICAGO - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a food safety alert after listeria infections linked to ready-to-eat meat and poultry products have been reported in multiple states, including Illinois.
CDC officials said 11 people across four states have been infected, including two infections in Illinois. Of the 11 people infected, nine have been hospitalized. One person from California, an infant, has died.
Laboratory findings revealed Yu-Shang Food ready-to-eat meat and poultry products are making people sick. The products have been recalled, but some may still be in people's refrigerators or freezers. Examples of recalled items include pork hock, chicken feet, pork feet, duck neck, beef shank and pork tongue, according to officials.
The CDC said symptoms of listeria usually start within two weeks after consuming contaminated food, but may begin as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks following consumption.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, tiredness, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or seizures, while people who are pregnant usually report fever, muscle aches and tiredness.
Officials said listeria is especially harmful to people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems due to listeria being more likely to spread beyond their gut to other parts of the body, resulting in a severe condition known as invasive listeriosis.
For people who are pregnant, listeria can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth or a life threatening infection in their newborn.
For anyone aged 65 or older or with weakened immune systems, listeria often results in hospitalization and sometimes death.
The CDC instructs the public to do the following: