Listeria Outbreak

Knottie1456889319

https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/22/health/salad-listeria/index.html

Please note that packaged salad by Dole and under several other brands is being recalled. This is very dangerous for your baby. If you think you did eat packaged salad that could have been part of this outbreak please call your OBGYN or go to the hospital ASAP. 
Apparently these bags have serial numbers starting with the letter "A".

skruhmin

Solution: Don't eat salad.  Done!

smushi

ehowa499

This is why I laugh about the deli meat issue- how many recalls of prepackaged sandwich meat do you hear about compared to spinach or lettuce?

AlissaLee17

So, if mine has a Z, it's probably okay? Sigh. I love my prepackaged spinach.

jenniferamcooper

I totally agree about deli meat. I work for the provincial government in Canada and my department used to include the food inspection folks.
Apparently here in the 80s there was a bunch of listeria outbreaks related to deli meat and deli potato salad. The head food inspector I talked to this about said it was serious and there were fatalities.
I wonder if the warnings came from that and in 20/30 years they'll be telling women to avoid berries and packaged salad.

The food inspector's advice was to eat local and know your food sources. Seems simple enough.

diablesse

ehowa499 said:

This is why I laugh about the deli meat issue- how many recalls of prepackaged sandwich meat do you hear about compared to spinach or lettuce?

Exactly. I'm always saying this. Every listeria outbreak I've ever heard of in the past has been spinach, salad or fruit. One woman even lost her baby after contracting listeria from a cantaloupe. Yet everyone rails against deli meat, soft cheese and sushi. And that's why I ate whatever I wanted.

tJaffe

It's interesting, but being a FTM, I read up and followed "rules" and during my readings I found out that spinach and lettuces carry listeria too, and that's nearly impossible to "rinse it off" because of all the creases in the leaves. So I haven't eaten any raw spinach and only two salads this whole pregnancy. I usually eat a lot but it seemed to be more of a risk than deli meat. Which I broke down and got a Publix sub (steamed the meat) around 20 weeks. I'm also one of those that cut out my one cup of coffee a day too though...

smushi

Right after my first pregnancy there was a huge listeria outbreak in peaches.  You really never know. 

emjeve

I bought and ate a bag of salad that is part of the recall! It was consumed between the 10th-16th (DH and I had fun sifting through our garbage the other night trying to find the bag...). I called the on-call Doctor last night and he said to just drink a lot of water and if I have any listeria symptoms to go to the labor and delivery floor of my hospital right away. Only problem is, most listeria symptoms are the same as pregnancy symptoms!! Back pain, muscle aches, headaches, GI problems- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea! Ahh! My next appointment is on Tuesday so I'm hoping to get more clarification because I've been having headaches, nausea, and vomiting on and off throughout the whole pregnancy and muscle aches and pains are just part of the third tri, so I'm not sure if I should be worrying or not!

messyandfun

I am in the same boat as you!  Ate a recalled bag last Monday (1/18). Doctor was VERY dismissive, which bothered me a lot.  I think the chances that the lettuce was contaminated were slim, because apparently this has been an issue since last July, and they only just now pinpointed where it was coming from (I think 11 or so cases reported total?).  I also read that sometimes pregnant women can have listeriosis with NO symptoms or sometimes symptoms don't start til long after (up to two months).  Frustrated at doctor.  At my appointment Thursday, I'll push the issue again.  I think testing is warranted since we are so high risk.

emjeve

@messyandfun I felt the same way- the doctor seemed dismissive. I called again today because I have vomited 3 times in the last two weeks- I just didn't think anything of it because that's been somewhat typical with this pregnancy, but Doctor said I really shouldn't worry unless I get a fever along with it. I guess with the problem originating back in July, the chances are fairly small of contracting it. I've eaten countless salads in the last 7 months with no issues so hopefully we have the same result now! I think I freaked out a little bit because I live in Michigan and that's where the 1 death occurred. I still plan on asking more questions at my appointment though, just to be on the safe side!

Knottie1456889319

@ejverre I live in Michigan also and have been eating salad as I please. I was not happy to hear about this after just having a salad the night before.
I feel fine and my bag was supposedly not impacted. I am really just not liking the uncertainty associated with the possible risk and not knowing if I could have eaten a bad bag at some point.
Hope you are both in the clear! @messyandfun

Cowboycorgi

I also live in Michigan and ate one of the bags of salad. My doctor said if I have any sudden vomiting, blood in stool, diarrhea, or a temp over 101 to go in immediately. Of course I have another bladder infection so I have backache, cramps, and sweating already... I'm never eating salad again!

emjeve

Boycott salad forever!!!