Worsening listeria outbreak tied to pasta products kills 6, hospitalizes 25

A listeria outbreak linked to prepared pasta products has killed six group and sickened complete 2 twelve crossed 18 states, national wellness officials say. Jennifer Oosthuizen/CDC hide caption

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Jennifer Oosthuizen/CDC

A deadly listeria outbreak connected to prepared pasta meals sold astatine market chains nationwide is worsening, national wellness officials say.

As of precocious October, nan outbreak has killed six group and sickened 27, each but 2 of whom were hospitalized, according to past week's update from nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One of those affected was a pregnant mother, resulting successful a fetal loss.

Cases person been reported successful 18 states: California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

"Since nan past CDC lawsuit count update connected September 25, 2025, a full of 7 caller illnesses from 3 states person been reported, pinch 2 further deaths reported," nan Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.

That database has grown successful caller months. The outbreak started successful June, erstwhile listeria concerns prompted recalls of respective brands of ready-to-eat chickenhearted fettuccine Alfredo mealsmade by FreshRealm Inc. and sold nether nan Home Chef marque astatine Kroger and nan Marketside marque astatine Walmart.

In response, FreshRealm began testing immoderate of its pasta samples — and successful mid-September, they came backmost affirmative for listeria. Further familial testing confirmed it was nan aforesaid strain of listeria that was detected successful FreshRealm's antecedently recalled chickenhearted Alfredo meal, nan FDA said astatine nan time.

That find prompted nan callback of 2 much products pinch circumstantial use-by dates successful precocious September and early October: Marketside Linguine With Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce, sold astatine Walmart, and Trader Joe's Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettuccine Alfredo.

They shared a pasta supplier, Nate's Fine Foods. The institution supplies precooked pasta and grains to nan wholesale nutrient work and edifice industries, according to its website.

In precocious September, Nate's further expanded its callback to see different batches of precooked pasta "including fettucine, linguine, and farfalle (bowtie), aft a sample of linguine pasta collected and tested by FreshRealm tested affirmative for Listeria monocytogenes," the FDA said.

Early October saw nan recalls of respective much pre-made pasta salads and heat-and-eat noodle dishes sold astatine Trader Joe's, Albertsons, Kroger, Walmart, Giant Eagle and Sprouts locations crossed nan country.

In a precocious September statement, Nate's said it was recalling nan products retired of an "abundance of caution" and apologized for immoderate interest it had caused.

"Our apical privilege is ensuring nan information of nan group who bask our products, and we will proceed to return each due steps until this matter is resolved," it said, adding that it is moving intimately pinch nan CDC, FDA and authorities wellness officials to place nan source.

The FDA says it is moving pinch Nate's to find if further recalls are needed. Health officials opportunity customers who purchased immoderate of these meals should propulsion them away, and cleanable their refrigerators, containers and immoderate surfaces that whitethorn person travel into interaction pinch nan food.

At this point, nan products that were recalled betwixt June and October are much apt to beryllium successful customers' fridges and freezers than connected shop shelves. Most of them had use-by dates earlier than Oct. 10.

The recalled product pinch nan longest support life is simply a stiff meal, Scott & Jon's Shrimp Scampi pinch Linguini Bowls. Those dishes, which were distributed to wholesale distributors and operators nationwide, person best-by dates successful March 2027. A spokesperson for nan institution told NPR that retailers person removed nan merchandise from their shelves.

What to cognize — and do — astir listeria

Listeria infection, aliases listeriosis, is astir apt to sicken pregnant group and newborns, adults complete 65 and group pinch weakened immune systems.

Pregnant group whitethorn only acquisition mild symptoms for illustration fever, fatigue and musculus aches, but should beryllium alert that listeria could origin miscarriages, premature transportation aliases life-threatening infection of their newborn.

Symptoms see fever, musculus aches, gastrointestinal issues, stiff neck, disorder and nonaccomplishment of balance. They usually commencement wrong 2 weeks of eating contaminated nutrient but could commencement arsenic soon arsenic nan aforesaid time aliases arsenic precocious arsenic 10 weeks later, nan CDC says.

It tin beryllium difficult to corroborate nan scope of an outbreak, since immoderate group retrieve from nan infection without aesculapian care. For those who do require aesculapian attention, nan CDC says it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to find whether their unwellness is portion of an outbreak.

The CDC says it has interviewed 13 of nan group who sewage sick arsenic of precocious September. Seven of them reported eating precooked meals earlier their unwellness started, and 4 specifically mentioned eating chickenhearted fettuccine Alfredo.

The CDC and FDA opportunity consumers should interaction their wellness attraction supplier to study immoderate symptoms of listeriosis and person care. They tin besides study immoderate adverse wellness effects to nan FDA online.

The U.S. has seen a number of listeria outbreaks successful nan past year.

A 2024 outbreak tied to deli nutrient near 10 group dormant and dozens much hospitalized crossed nan country. A U.S. Department of Agriculture study released successful January blamed "inadequate sanitation practices" astatine a since-closed Boar's Head installation successful Virginia and listed several steps it would return to amended protect nan nationalist from listeria.

In February, astir 2 cardinal baked goods — including immoderate donuts sold astatine Dunkin' — were recalled complete listeria concerns. That aforesaid month, frozen shakes sold to nursing homes and semipermanent attraction accommodation were recalled successful relationship pinch a listeria outbreak making love backmost to 2018. The FDA says that outbreak sickened 42 group and killed 14 — crossed 21 states — earlier authorities declared it complete successful May.