The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday announced an end to a listeria outbreak in Dole packaged salads that left three people dead and at least 18 others sick over the course of years.
The outbreak started causing illnesses in 2014, according to the CDC. The 18 people who were sickened were from 13 states. And the CDC noted that the number of sick people reported does not necessarily represent the total number of people who got Listeria as a result of the outbreak.
Dole found the outbreak strain on a piece of equipment at their Yuma, Arizona, facility and in December recalled salads packaged there and in Bessemer City, North Carolina.
Those who became ill ranged in age from 50 to 94, according to the CDC. At least 16 people were taken to hospitals.
People infected with listeria can experience fever, muscle aches, headaches, loss of balance and other symptoms, which they will usually notice about one to four weeks after eating contaminated food, according to the CDC.
