USDA warns about contaminated cantaloupes

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Health officials are warning consumers not to eat Rocky Ford Cantaloupe shipped by Colorado-based Jensen Farms because of possible listeriosis contamination.

The Food and Drug Administration is telling consumers to throw away any of the recalled product they may still have in their homes.

Jensen Farms is voluntarily recalling cantaloupe shipped from July 29 through September 10, 2011 and distributed to at least 17 states, a USDA release said Thursday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says at least 22 people in seven states have been infected with strains of Listeria monocytogenes as of Thursday.

Fever and muscle aches are the usual symptoms of listeriosis infection, which can be fatal in high-risk groups including older adults, people with compromised immune systems and newborns, the FDA said.

Consumers concerned about illness from Listeria monocytogenes should consult their healthcare professionals, it said.