Los Angeles: At least twelve deaths have been reported in the United States amid a multi-state outbreak of Listeria infections linked to supplemental shakes, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
At least 38 people in 21 states were infected, with 37 of them hospitalised. Many people in this outbreak lived in long-term care facilities or were hospitalised before becoming sick, according to the CDC.
The CDC said these cases date back to 2018, and over half of the people affected by this outbreak got sick in either 2024 or 2025. It is common for Listeria outbreaks to last several years because it is an incredibly hardy germ that can survive on surfaces for a long time.
The CDC has investigated this virus strain several times but never had enough information to identify a food source, beyond something being served in long-term care facilities. Environmental testing and whole genome sequencing helped solve the outbreak this year, said the CDC.
All Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial frozen supplemental shakes within shelf life have been recalled. Frozen supplemental shakes under brands Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial were sold to institutional settings such as long-term care facilities.
The CDC requested the public not to eat any recalled products, and to clean refrigerators, containers, and surfaces that may have touched the recalled products, Xinhua news agency reported.
Listeria can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces. It is especially harmful to pregnant women, people aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.
Listeriosis has a range of symptoms that can vary based on the severity and form of the illness. There are two forms of the disease: the less severe, non-invasive gastrointestinal listeriosis, and the more severe form, invasive listeriosis, which occurs when the Listeria spreads beyond the intestines.
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