In February 2015, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control isolated Listeria as part of routine sampling from Blue Bell brand single-serving ice cream products collected from a distribution center: Chocolate Chip Country Cookie Sandwiches and Great Divide Bars. The people with illness onsets during 2010–2014 were identified through a retrospective review of the PulseNet database for DNA fingerprints matching isolates collected from Blue Bell ice cream samples. Illness onset dates ranged from January 2010 through January 2015. Several PFGE patterns (strains) of Listeria were involved in this outbreak.Ī total of 10 people infected with several strains of Listeria were reported from 4 states: Arizona (1), Kansas (5), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (3). PulseNet manages a national database of these DNA fingerprints to identify possible outbreaks of enteric illness. WGS gives a more detailed DNA fingerprint than PFGE. DNA “fingerprinting” is performed on Listeria bacteria isolated from ill people using techniques called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). PulseNet is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC. Public health investigators used the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that were part of this outbreak. This was a complex multistate outbreak investigation of listeriosis cases occurring over several years. Food and Drug Administration released the findings from recent inspections at the Blue Bell production facilities in Brenham, Texas Cdc-pdf External Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Cdc-pdf External and Sylacauga, Alabama Cdc-pdf External. These products are frozen, so consumers, institutions, and retailers should check their freezers. This is especially important for people at higher risk for listeriosis. Consumers should not eat any recalled Blue Bell brand products, and institutions and retailers should not serve or sell them.On April 20, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries voluntarily recalled External all of its products currently on the market made at all of its facilities, including ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, and frozen snacks.Three deaths were reported from Kansas (3). A total of 10 people with listeriosis related to this outbreak were reported from 4 states: Arizona (1), Kansas (5), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (3).People at high risk for listeriosis include pregnant women and their newborns, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is a life-threatening infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium (germ) Listeria monocytogenes ( Listeria).Information gathered as part of the investigation indicated that various Blue Bell brand products were the source of this outbreak of listeriosis. Read the Information for Health Professionals>.Read the Advice to Consumers, Institutions, and Retailers>.
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