Listeria Outbreaks
When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne disease outbreak. The list on this page primarily represents multistate foodborne outbreak investigations involving Listeria in which CDC was the lead public health agency. CDC’s online data tool, NORS Dashboard, contains a more complete listing of Listeria outbreaks reported to CDC since 1998.
Public health officials investigate outbreaks to control them, so more people do not get sick, and to learn how to prevent similar outbreaks from happening in the future.
Selected Multistate Outbreaks
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
- Commercially Produced, Prepackaged Caramel Apples – Listeriosis
- Bean Sprouts – Listeriosis
- Cheese – Listeriosis
- Dairy Products – Listeriosis
2013
2012
2011
Spotlight
- Find out the series of events that happen before determining a person with a Listeria infection is part of an outbreak >
- Learn how CDC’s Listeria Whole Sequencing Project is improving food safety >
- See how whole genome sequencing, patient interviews, and food trace backs helped solve an outbreak linked to caramel apples >
- Listen to CDC surveillance coordinator Kelly Jackson discusses outbreaks of Listeria infection linked to soft cheeses in the United States in this podcast >
Page last reviewed: November 21, 2018