At least 10 people hospitalized after catching deadly superbug Listeria from popular SANDWICHES

At slightest 10 people have been hospitalized with a deadly food-borne unwellness tied to to-go sandwiches, according to an ongoing national investigation.

FDA investigators recovered listeria connected institution instrumentality astatine a mill tally by Fresh & Ready Foods, based retired of San Fernando successful California.

Over 80 antithetic products person been pulled, including sandwiches, pastas, and snack boxes.

They were sold oregon provided successful hospitals, hotels, firm offices, convenience stores, airports, and airlines.

The products person best-buy dates from April 22 to May 19 nether marque names Fresh & Ready Foods, City Point Market Fresh Food to Go, and Fresh Take Crave Away.

They were distributed to assorted facilities in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Washington and the patients person been hospitalized successful California and Nevada. 

FDA and CDC investigators archetypal flagged the outbreak successful 2024 by looking astatine infirmary admissions and nationalist wellness data, with the past lawsuit reported successful January past year. But the FDA couldn't pinpoint its source. 

The interruption came successful April 2025, erstwhile regular investigating astatine a Fresh & Ready Foods installation uncovered listeria strains connected accumulation instrumentality that genetically matched the outbreak strain. 

‘Whole genome sequencing (WGS) investigation confirmed that the strain of Listeria recovered astatine Fresh & Ready Foods, LLC matches the strain of Listeria causing illnesses successful this outbreak,’ according to the FDA.

Listeriosis is caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes and tin scope from mild to severe. 

More mild cases lucifer the flu, causing fever, nausea and vomiting, musculus aches, and headache. But infection tin beryllium deadly for definite susceptible groups.

In large women, listeria raises the hazard of miscarriage, debased commencement weight, wellness problems for the newborn, and babe death. 

Other symptoms successful adults see fever, musculus aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, confusion, nonaccomplishment of balance, convulsions, and death.

Most steadfast adults bash not get severely ill, but due to the fact that the immune strategy wanes successful older age, seniors implicit 65 are much apt to die.

Around 90 percent of radical with listeriosis, the corruption caused by listeria, necessitate hospitalization, portion 20 and 30 percent of patients die. The CDC estimates that of 1,600 cases each year, astir 260 bash not survive.

The FDA reported each of the 86 products that person been recalled.

During the investigation, the CDC, on with authorities and section wellness officials, asked six of the 10 infected radical what foods they ate earlier getting sick.

Of the six radical they were capable to interview, each were hospitalized and aboriginal tested affirmative for Listeria.

Health officials confirmed astatine slightest 3 of the six interviewed patients had eaten the recalled products portion astatine respective types of facilities - hospitals, hotels, firm offices, convenience stores, airports, and airlines. 

The probe showed ready-to-eat foods from Fresh & Ready Foods, LLC had been served successful astatine slightest 3 of those locations.

As of May 9, 2025, 10 radical successful 2 states person gotten sick from this strain of Listeria, and each 10 person been hospitalized. 

Eight of them occurred successful California, portion 2 were confirmed successful Nevada.

For its part, the institution said successful a statement: ‘Fresh & Ready Foods has taken contiguous corrective actions, including removing instrumentality to code this contented to guarantee ongoing nutrient information and compliance with FDA guidance.’

While listeriosis tin lucifer run-of-the-mill flu-like symptoms that travel connected wrong astir 24 hours of eating the contaminated food, it tin beryllium devastating for circumstantial diligent populations.

In terrible cases, the corruption tin origin a dangerously precocious fever, terrible headache, oregon a stiff cervix that could constituent to encephalon swelling, confusion, oregon seizures, and sepsis, oregon bloodstream infections.

The corruption has besides been tied to different neurological disorders, including inflammation of spinal cord membranes (meningitis), a brainstem infection, trouble breathing, treble vision, and paralysis.

Michael Silberman, 86, utilized to beryllium an progressive Florida elder — until a seemingly harmless turkey sandwich left him sedated successful a infirmary furniture for weeks, his assemblage wracked by convulsive seizures.

Now, the once-independent gramps shuffles done his location with a walker, incapable to drive, store for groceries, oregon adjacent assistance his arthritic wife, Barbara, with regular tasks.

Silberman blames his drastic diminution connected a Boar’s Head turkey sandwich helium ate months agone — portion of a question of recalled deli meats tied to a deadly listeria outbreak.

His property made him a premier people for the food-borne bacteria, which hits hardest astatine the elderly, large women, and those connected immune-suppressing drugs that cripple the body’s defenses.

Listeria lurks successful contaminated nutrient tainted by unclean water, soil, oregon surfaces. Once ingested, the bacteria tin past tummy acid, invade the intestines, and infiltrate the bloodstream.

For Silberman, the bacterial penetration began with the acquisition of Boar’s Head turkey from his section Publix, bought connected July 15 and eaten successful sandwiches implicit the adjacent fewer days.

Seven days later, a precocious fever struck. Two days aft that, his wife, Barbara, dialed 911.

First responders recovered Silberman successful distress – breathing rapidly, confused, and showing signs of sepsis. Rushed from his Delray Beach location connected a stretcher, doctors rapidly identified the culprit: Listeria monocytogenes.

The corruption had already wreaked havoc. He was hospitalized for 2 weeks, battling encephalon swelling, cognitive impairment, and kidney failure.

Even aft discharge, helium faced different grueling period successful rehab, rebuilding musculus ravaged by the illness.