DENVER, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- A Colorado man who fell ill from eating cantaloupe during last fall's Listeria outbreak has died, officials said.
The death of 68-year-old Mike Hauser Tuesday raises the estimated death toll from the outbreak to 34, lawyers representing the victims said.
In December, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak caused 30 adult deaths and one miscarriage, but four more people with illnesses tied to the outbreak have since died, Seattle attorney Bill Marler told The Denver Post.
The deaths resulted from eating cantaloupe grown at Jensen Farms in southeastern Colorado, the CDC said.
Hauser was recovering from multiple myeloma and stem-cell treatments to fight it when he contracted listeriosis from eating cantaloupe last August, the newspaper said. The family said they were hopeful for his recovery until he developed an apparent infection last week.
Investigators say they've traced the Listeria to washing and packing equipment at Jensen Farms.
