A Montgomery County woman has been diagnosed with the first reported case of listeriosis, associated with the recent outbreak linked to cantaloupe in Colorado.
According to Montgomery County Health Department, an elderly woman from the Collegeville area became ill early last month. She was hospitalized and has since recovered, but cantaloupe recovered from her property tested negative for listeria. Currently, 123 cases of listeria infections have been reported in 26 states. Listeria infections are most susceptible in children and the elderly. Symptoms, which typically last between seven and 10 days, include fever, headache, muscle aches, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. It is triggered by a bacterial infection and afflicts individuals more often with a deficient immune system. Collegeville’s is the state’s first case linked to the outbreak from a Granada, Colo. cantaloupe farm. The fruit in question is sold under the name Rocky Ford cantaloupes and consumers are advised to steer clear of them. Public health officials have continued to collaborate with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in determining the extent of the distribution of the contaminated products.