At 123 sickened with 25 deaths the Jensen Farms Frontera Listeria Outbreak has moved into second place in the United States’ most deadly foodborne illness outbreaks.  The numbers of ill and dead are expected to increase in this recent Listeria Outbreak that has impacted 26 states.  Here is a list of not the largest, but deadliest outbreaks in the U.S.:

1.  Jalisco’s Listeria Outbreak

•          January 1985

•          Vehicle: cheese

•          Number ill: 142

•          Deaths: 29

Screen Shot 2011-10-18 at 4.54.28 PM.png2.  Jensen Farms Frontera Listeria Outbreak

•          September 2011 – ONGOING

•          Vehicle: whole cantaloupe

•          Number ill: 123

•          Deaths: 25

3.  Bil Mar Foods Ready-to-eat Meats Listeria Outbreak

•          January 1998

•          Vehicle: deli and cured meats

•          Number ill: 101

•          Deaths: 21

4.  Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) Salmonella Outbreak

•          September 2008

•          Vehicle:  Peanuts and peanut butter

•          Number ill: 716

•          Deaths: 9

5.  Pilgrim’s Pride Listeria Outbreak

•          July 2002

•          Vehicle: deli meats

•          Number ill: 54

•          Deaths: 8

According to the CDC, on October 17, 2011, a total of 123 persons infected with any of the four outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported to CDC from 26 states. All illnesses started on or after July 31, 2011. The number of infected persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), California (2), Colorado (36), Idaho (1), Illinois (2), Indiana (3), Iowa (1), Kansas (7), Louisiana (2), Maryland (1), Missouri (4), Montana (1), Nebraska (6), New Mexico (13), New York (2), North Dakota (1), Oklahoma (11), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Texas (18), Virginia (1), West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (2), and Wyoming (3). Pennsylvania has reported their first case since the last CDC update. Twenty-five deaths have been reported: 6 in Colorado, 1 in Indiana, 2 in Kansas, 2 in Louisiana, 1 in Maryland, 1 in Missouri, 1 in Nebraska, 5 in New Mexico, 2 in New York, 1 in Oklahoma, 2 in Texas, and 1 in Wyoming. Among persons who died, ages range from 48 to 96 years, with a median age of 87 years. In addition, one woman pregnant at the time of illness had a miscarriage.