Lauren Dempsey, MS in Biomedicine and Law, RN, FISM News 

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The CDC has found a possible link to a Listeria outbreak that killed one person from Illinois and sickened another 22, five of which were pregnant women, and caused one fetal death. The outbreak has occurred across 10 different states and has been linked to an ice cream brand sold in Florida. The brand, Big Olaf Creamery, is based in Sarasota, and most of the people that became ill were from Florida or had traveled to the state recently. 

CDC officials interviewed 17 of the 23 people that were affected by the outbreak. Out of that group, 14 people said that they had eaten ice cream in the month prior to getting sick. Six of those people remembered eating the Big Olaf Creamery brand ice cream specifically.

Over the weekend the family-owned creamery issued a statement on their Facebook page about the investigation, saying that “for now it is only speculation as it is an ongoing investigation; our brand has not been confirmed to be linked to these cases.” The post went on to say, “I am not sure why only Big Olaf is being mentioned and targeted. The original report we got from the Florida Department of Health on Friday, July 1st, was that there are 23 cases reported, the first one reported was January 2021; 6 out of the 23 patients mentioned having consumed Big Olaf ice cream, but nothing has been proven.”

The post also says that the creamery has “been cooperating with the Florida Department of Health, FDACS and the FDA,” and they “have been transparent and have answered all their questions and provided them with all the information requested.” They go on to say that “the health and wellbeing of the public is our first priority.” 

It is likely that the outbreak is larger than the 23 reported individuals because many people are not tested and recover without needing medical intervention. Some people reported Listeria infections as early as January of last year. There are usually a number of Listeria outbreaks each year, with about 1,600 infections reported and about 260 deaths. In 2021 there were four Listeria outbreaks linked to pre-packaged salads, pre-cooked chicken, and queso fresco. 

The CDC recommends that individuals throw away any products made by the ice cream company, as well as cleaning up “any areas, containers, and serving utensils that may have touched Big Olaf ice cream products.” The agency is also advising that businesses do not sell any of the company’s product, but has not recommended an official recall. Big Olaf Creamery has voluntarily recalled their products and has been contacting retail locations.

The CDC warns that Listeria can be deadly for pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. This type of bacterial infection can travel through the placenta and can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature delivery.

Listeria is a bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics. Symptoms of infection include fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea and usually start one to four weeks after eating contaminated food, but can start earlier or as late as 70 days. This long and variable incubation period makes it difficult to track outbreaks and determine the origin of the outbreak.  Most people recover without needing treatment, but it can become more serious when the bacteria travels outside of the gut to other parts of the body.

The investigation is still “active.”