The CDC is currently leading an active investigation on a Listeria outbreak that has been linked to enoki mushrooms. Two people became ill after consuming enoki mushrooms and subsequently required hospitalizations for their infections. Enoki mushrooms are white with long, thin stems and are popular in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean dishes, such as stir-fried dishes, soups, and hot pots. Enoki mushrooms are generally sold by the bunch with roots in clear sealed packaging and are typically consumed cooked. Investigators have not been able to identify a specific brand of enoki mushrooms that are contaminated, however, both victims reported consuming enoki mushrooms in the days preceding the onset of their illnesses. Health officials have identified the specific strain of Listeria linked to the outbreak and confirmed they have previously encountered the same strain from imported enoki mushrooms. A previous Listeria outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms occurred in 2020 with 36 reported cases, 31 hospitalizations, and 4 deaths.
To prevent Listeria infections, the CDC recommends to avoid consuming raw enoki mushrooms and to ensure that all enoki mushrooms are throughly cooked before eating or serving to customers. To avoid cross contamination, surfaces should be throughly cleaned after coming in contact with enoki mushrooms and any food that will not be cooked should be kept in a separate area away from the enoki mushrooms.
According to the CDC, Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that causes listeriosis, an infection that is most commonly found in pregnant women and their newborns, those 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. Listeria can cause both intestinal illness and invasive illness, which is when the infection spreads beyond the intestines. Symptoms of intestinal illness caused by Listeria generally begin 24 hours after ingesting food with Listeria bacteria and last 1-3 days, with symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting. In people who are not pregnant, invasive listeriosis infection symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, loss of balance, confusion, seizures, and flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and fatigue. In pregnant people, symptoms are usually mild and include fever and flu-like symptoms, though some pregnant people report no symptoms.
Pregnant women are highly susceptible to listeriosis and are 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection than others. As a result of a Listeria infection, pregnant women can pass the infection to their unborn baby, which can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, preterm labor, as well as serious illness and potential death in infants.
