Listeria outbreak horror as boy, 10, dead and at least 10 sick from 'contaminated meat'

Food safety authorities have been forced to recall tens of thousands of kilograms of meat following a listeria outbreak that killed a child and left nearly a dozen other people in hospital.

The child, aged 10, died from a horror case of food poisoning tied to ready-to-eat products containing several different types of meat, including chicken feet, duck neck, beef shank and port hock. Federal health officials in the US reported that Yu Shang Food, Inc has recalled more than 72,000 lbs (32,658 kg) of meat following the outbreak reported on November 21.

The move came following an initial recall on November 9, after food was shipped by the Spartanburg, South Carolina-based firm, with cases of listeria reported in four states. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has warned people to check any ready-to-eat food that was produced before October 28, 2024, and may be in their fridge-freezers.

The outbreak specifically affects ready-to-eat products from YuShang Foods Inc
(Image: AP)

The organisation said the affected products have establishment numbers P-46684 or EST. M46684 inside the USDA mark of inspection. The items were both shipped to shops across the US, and available to buy online. People who find products with codes matching those codes, have been asked to either throw them away or return them to the shop from where they were bought.

Around 11 people fell ill after consuming infected products, nine of whom have since been hospitalised. The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said it had identified an "illness cluster" and was working to confirm whether the strain identified in lab testing matched the one that has infected people.

A spokesperson said: "The problem was discovered after FSIS performed routine testing and follow-up activities of finished product produced by Yu Shang Food, Inc. on October 21, 2024, that confirmed the product was positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Additional testing has confirmed that Listeria monocytogenes was detected in product and in environmental samples collected by FSIS.

YuShang Foods Inc shipped products across the US, with the infections tracked to four states
(Image: AP)

"Whole genome sequencing is underway to determine if these samples match the outbreak strain." People who consume food infected by the listeria monocytogenes bacteria may develop listeriosis, a potentially dangerous infection. The infection is most serious for older adults, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant people, and their newborns.

The USDA said people outside the primary risk groups are also affected, with the infection know to cause a host of hallmark symptoms that may initially feel like a bad cold or flu. Listeriosis symptoms include a fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.

People may also experience diarrhoea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, and invasive infections sometimes spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract. Infections that spread beyond the area may cause miscarriages, stillbirths, or cause life-threatening conditions for newborn children. Treatment is typically antibiotics, but high-risk groups have been told to seek medical care if they ate contaminated food.

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