Canaloupe Outbreak Has Already Killed 16 People

Hopefully you know to stay away from those cantaloupes by now.

Health officials say as many as 16 people have died from possible listeria illnesses traced to Colorado cantaloupes, the deadliest food outbreak in more than a decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that 72 illnesses, including 13 deaths, are linked to the tainted fruit. State and local officials say they are investigating three additional deaths that may be connected.

The death toll released by the CDC Tuesday — including newly confirmed deaths in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas — surpassed the number of deaths linked to an outbreak of salmonella in peanuts almost three years ago. Nine people died in that outbreak.

So, again, please stay away from the cantaloupes until they figure out where this disease exactly came from and how to contain it. Otherwise, it’s going to get ugly. The listeria disease generally affects pregnant women, the elderly and those with weak immune systems.