A lawsuit has been filed after a case of ice cream linked to listeria
The Center For Disease Control (CDC) has discovered a brand of Florida ice cream linked to listeria. Big Olaf Creamery, a Florida ice cream business, was sued on Tuesday after health officials have linked them to a multistate outbreak. A federal lawsuit was filed by the estate of an Illinois woman who passed away earlier this year.
Since the listeria outbreak began in January 2021, the CDC has stated that 22 other people have been hospitalized due to the ice cream linked to listeria. Twelve of the cases were from Florida, while eight others included patients who had visited the state within a month of their illnesses.
Although uncommon, the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes infects people through contaminated food and can result in life-threatening diseases. The CDC estimates that over 95% of patients with listeriosis, the disease the bacteria produces, need to be hospitalized. The mortality rate for listeriosis is about 20%. The listeria outbreak is especially harmful to expectant mothers, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
According to the health protection agency, symptoms occur two weeks after consuming the listeria contaminated food, though they might start as early as the day of or up to 70 days later. Headaches, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and joint pain can all occur in people with listeriosis. Fever and diarrhea are additional symptoms that mirror food poisoning, and the majority of patients recover on their own without medical assistance.
The CDC has advised to toss out all products from the Sarasota-based Big Olaf Creamery. Any areas, containers, and serving utensils that may have come into contact with the ice cream should be cleaned, the CDC said in a statement on Saturday.
The CDC advises contacting your healthcare provider if you have consumed ice cream linked to listeria or are experiencing any symptoms due to the listeria outbreak, particularly if you have just traveled to Florida.