"At least 13 people in eight states have died after eating cantaloupe contaminated with listeria, in the deadliest outbreak of food-borne illness in the United States in more than a decade, public health officials said on Tuesday."
"Many of the deaths involved elderly people, who are especially susceptible to the aggressive pathogen.
The cantaloupes were grown by a Colorado company, Jensen Farms, which issued a recall earlier this month. The melons, a type marketed as Rocky Ford cantaloupes, named after a region in Colorado, were sold around the country.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that since the outbreak began in late July at least 72 people had fallen ill in 18 states."
William Neuman reports for the New York Times September 27, 2011.
SEE ALSO:
"Listeria Contamination Deadliest Since 1998" (AP)
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