Sept. 16--FARMINGTON -- Neither of Farmington's Walmart stores had a cantaloupe for sale Thursday.
Walmart's cantaloupe supplier in New Mexico receives the fruit from a Colorado farm that likely distributed listeria-contaminated cantaloupe to 17 states.
At least 22 listeriosis cases were reported in seven of those states, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Many of those cases were in New Mexico.
Jensen Farms, of Holly, Colo., voluntarily issued a recall of its cantaloupe Wednesday after the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment advised people to avoid eating cantaloupe from the Rocky Ford area because of the listeria outbreak.
At least 10 New Mexicans were hospitalized with a listeriosis infection in the last three weeks, and four people died from the infection as of Thursday afternoon, said Dr. Paul Ettestad, an epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health.
None of the people with a listeriosis infection were from San Juan County.
"The cases that have occurred have only affected people with weakened immune systems. We haven't seen any cases of anyone in good health who came down with any form of listeriosis," said Jim Winchester, a spokesman for the New Mexico Environment Department. "Folks who are healthy and have eaten these cantaloupes, at this point there doesn't appear to be much concern."
State health inspectors found Rocky Farms cantaloupes at Walmarts and Whole Foods, according to the health department.
The
stores promptly removed Rocky Ford cantaloupes, Winchester said.
There is not a list of which Walmarts sold Rocky Ford cantaloupe from Jensen Farms in late July through early September, the time when health officials believe the contaminated cantaloupes were shipped, Winchester said.
The safe bet is to throw away all Rocky Ford cantaloupes from that farm purchased from Walmart or Whole Foods, he said.
The suspected cantaloupes have a green and white sticker that says "USA-Frontera Produce-Colorado Fresh-Rocky Ford Cantaloupe" or a gray, yellow and green sticker that says "Jensen Farms-Sweet Rocky Fords."
Not all Rocky Ford cantaloupes come from Jensen Farms.
Listeriosis is a bacterial infection usually caused by eating contaminated foods, Ettestad said.
The listeria bacteria can be found in soil, animal excrement, food processing plants or delivery trucks, he said.
It is likely the cantaloupes have the listeria bacteria on their rinds and the bacteria seeps into the melon through a crack or when the fruit is sliced, he said.
The infection does not affect everyone who is exposed to listeria. Some people get gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting. The infection can spread to the blood stream and people can develop life-threatening meningitis or encephalitis, he said.
Ryan Boetel: rboetel@daily-times.com
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