Connecticut among 21 states affected by deadly listeria outbreak

Stamford Advocate – Wednesday, February 26, 2025
By Cris Villalonga-Vivoni

Connecticut is one of 21 states affected by a listeria outbreak connected to frozen supplemental milkshakes sold to hospitals and long-term care facilities that has killed 12 people and infected another 38 nationwide as of late February, according to an update from the Food and Drug Administration.

A state Department of Public Health spokesperson said that the listeria outbreak affected two Connecticut residents, both of whom have since recovered.

“Any individual or facility with Sysco Imperial or Lyons ReadyCare frozen supplement shakes should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase,” said the DPH spokesperson in response to the outbreak. “DPH also recommends cleaning your refrigerator, containers or surfaces that may have touched the recalled products. Listeria can easily survive in the refrigerator and easily spreads to other foods and surfaces.”

The contaminated shakes are manufactured by Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. out of Indiana and include 17 products under the Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes brands. According to the distributor, Lyons Magnus LLC, the shakes were voluntarily recalled on Feb. 22 after learning about the outbreak.

The first reports of listeria connected to the frozen supplemental shake were in November 2024, with people becoming sick who had been living in long-term care facilities. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the outbreak dates back to 2018 when the previous investigators could not identify the source.

“The recalled products were distributed primarily to long-term care facilities and were not available for retail sale,” the distribution company stated.

Listeria infections are rare, but according to the CDC, some individuals – like newborns, pregnant mothers and people over 65 years old – are more at risk of developing a severe illness. Symptoms typically begin within two weeks of exposure and can range from fever, vomiting and diarrhea to stiff neck and convulsions.

In addition to Connecticut, the FDA identified listeria cases linked to the contaminated shake cartons in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.

“People should call their health care provider right away if they experience any of these symptoms after drinking a recalled shake,” the DPH spokesperson said.

The FDA’s investigation is still ongoing and a full list of the recalled products is on its website.

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