Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the number of listeria deaths linked to the nationwide listeria outbreak from contaminated cantaloupes to 32. The number, however, could reach 36 or more depending on how many deaths are officially attributed to the outbreak.
Michael Booth, from the Denver Post, writes:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday it has updated the death toll from Colorado’s cantaloupe listeria to 32, but the two added most recently occurred “well before” Dec. 8.
Since that date, there have been at least four deaths of patients linked to the same listeria strain, but whose actual cause of death may take months to determine. One of those cases was Mike Hauser, a retired Monument podiatrist with multiple complications who died Tuesday.
The CDC said it is up to state and local officials whether more recent deaths are officially attributed to the outbreak.
In addition to Mr. Hauser, Bill Marler, food safety lawer and managing partner of Marler Clark, counts the deaths of Paul Schwarz, 92, of Kansas City, Missouri, and Sharon Jones, 62, of Castle Rock, Colorado, as victims of the outbreak.