Listeria Salami Kills 180 In South Africa, 1000 infected

South Africa has the questionable honour of being the country where the biggest ever listeria outbreak took place now that the Health Minister Mr Aaron Motsoaledi has admitted that products from RCL foods (formerly known Rainbow Chicken) and Enterprise would be recalled in South Africa and abroad where they are exported.

The source of the disease is a small factory operated by Enterprise Foods in Polokwane in Limpopo, South Africa. The government is tracking exports.

Since the beginning of January last year, 948 people have been infected with listeriosis and 180 have died in what is now accepted to have been ‘the world’s largest outbreak’ ever.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: Enterprise polony identified as source of listeria outbreak <a href="https://t.co/M5uZsY1Uds">https://t.co/M5uZsY1Uds</a> <a href="https://t.co/mimq5E4nyL">pic.twitter.com/mimq5E4nyL</a></p>&mdash; Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimesLIVE/status/970261683603111939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>

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The Minister advised people to "avoid all processed meat products that are sold as ready to eat."

“The National Consumer Commission has issued the manufacturer involved Enterprise with food recall notices.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The foods linked to listeria: Enterprise Russians‚ Rainbow Chicken polony and Enterprise polony <a href="https://t.co/zLZJwoLdU6">https://t.co/zLZJwoLdU6</a> <a href="https://t.co/wRum8plfO8">pic.twitter.com/wRum8plfO8</a></p>&mdash; Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimesLIVE/status/970305390801022976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Listerios is a disease than can be fatal for elderly, young or especially weak people such as pregnant women:

- It can be caught from food containing listeria bacteria, or close contact with farm animals (we reported on a case of contaminated melon in Australia last week which killed 3)

- It usually involves milk or dairy products, such as camembert and brie, even though it has turned up in meat and fruit.

- Pre-packed foods, including sandwiches and paté, are especially vulnerable and researchers are studying which packaging material are harmful

- Symptoms include high temperature, flu-like symptoms, vomiting and diarrhoea

- Most people infected display no symptoms, but elderly and very young people are vulnerable

Source:

https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/polony-factory-source-of-listeriosis-outbreak-13588000