Dallas Co. Resident Dies After Contracting Listeria

An elderly Dallas County resident who was sickened with listeriosis has died.

The 89-year-old was the fourth person in the county to contract listeria and had been hospitalized for treatment. Two other residents were said to have recovered from listeria last week.

Due to personal privacy reasons, the patient's name has not been revealed.

Dallas County Health and Human Services said the case is linked to the multistate investigation into contaminated cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in Colorado.

Shipments of those cantaloupes were made between July 29 and Sept. 10 and distributed to 17 states, including Texas. Dallas-area retailers received shipments within the last month, but they have since been recalled.

Because listeria bacteria can grow at room temperature and in the refrigerator, it is important to sanitize countertops and vegetable drawers where the fruit may have been stored.

Any person who develops symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, accompanied by fever, who may have ingested cantaloupe from Jensen Farms should seek medical attention.