A fourth person has died after consuming melon contaminated with listeria, authorities said yesterday, in an outbreak that has so far affected 17 people. The cases first came to the attention of health officials last month, with the source traced back to a farm in New South Wales (NSW). “There have been two deaths in NSW and two in Victoria,” NSW Health said in an update, adding that two new cases took the total affected nationally to 17. Vicky Sheppeard, director of communicable diseases at NSW Health, said all contaminated rockmelons were recalled from the market on Wednesday last week. “Typically, around one-third of people who fall ill with listeriosis die every year. Most of the cases are never related to an outbreak like this one we’re seeing with the rockmelon contamination,” she said.
Source: Taipei Times