Another Infant Death Linked to Yu Shang Listeria Outbreak
Image credit: USDA-FSIS
The patient count in the foodborne illness outbreak linked to ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products produced by Yu Shang Food Inc. has risen to 19, including an additional infant death. The additional patients were identified after food and environmental sampling found a second strain of Listeria monocytogenes that was genetically related to clinical isolates.
The foodborne illness outbreak was discovered after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) conducted routine testing and follow-up activities of finished product by Yu Shang Food Inc. on October 21, 2024. Samples tested positive for L. monocytogenes. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis revealed the isolates from a Yu Shang pork snout product to be related to clinical isolates from sick people, dating back to October 2021. On December 5, 2024, FSIS updated the public that a second strain of L. monocytogenes matching other clinical isolates was found in Yu Shang product and environmental samples.
According to a December 5 update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a total of 19 illnesses have been connected to the foodborne illness outbreak, resulting in 17 hospitalizations. Of the 19 illnesses, seven are related to pregnancy. The two deaths identified in the outbreak have been those of infants whose mothers were infected by L. monocytogenes. Another two infants (not relatives) were sick and recovered, and one person who was pregnant was sick and recovered.
Although the earliest case of illness linked to this outbreak was recorded in October 2021, the majority of cases (15) occurred between December 2023 and October 2024. The most recent illness was recorded on October 28, 2024.
Sick people have been identified in California, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Tennessee.
Yu Shang Food Inc. has expanded its initial recall to include an additional 67,651 pounds of products. Details of the recall can be accessed via FSIS.
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