Enoki Mushrooms Cause Listeria Outbreak in the United States

VIVA – Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States suggests to the public don’t consume enoki mushrooms. It is because of the Listeria outbreak that infects people and triggers severe pain, especially in certain groups that are more vulnerable.

The CDC has warned people to not eat, sell, or serve food that contaminated enoki mushrooms, especially for people who are pregnant, 65 years old or older, or have weakened immune systems, and have been advised to avoid eating raw enoki mushrooms.

Although enoki mushrooms are now freely traded and not recalled, the impact of listeria infection contaminating them is very dangerous for vulnerable groups of people. Listeria can also infect healthy people, but they rarely become seriously ill.

Eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can cause a severe condition known as invasive listeriosis in people at high risk. According to the CDC, an estimated 1,600 people in the US get listeriosis each year, and around 260 people die.

In several rare cases, Listeria can spread beyond the gut and infect other parts of the body, including bones, joints, and areas in the chest and abdomen. Older people and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe infections of the bloodstream (causing sepsis) or brain (causing meningitis or encephalitis) after a Listeria infection.

The United States reported the first known Listeria outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms in 2020, which resulted in three recalls of enoki mushrooms imported from Korea. Since then, the country's health agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been collecting and testing enoki mushroom samples.

The FDA has found outbreak strains of Listeria in many samples, leading to more recalls of enoki mushrooms, including those distributed by Utopia Foods and Sun Hong Foods. Currently, listeria is no longer an outbreak but the impact has led the CDC to urge consumer caution.

Symptoms of Listeria infection

Symptoms associated with Listeria infection usually appear within 2 weeks of consuming food contaminated with the bacteria.

A person may start showing symptoms the same day after consuming contaminated food or after 10 weeks at the latest. Fever, muscle aches, and fatigue are the most common symptoms of Listeria infection. Along with these symptoms, a non-pregnant person may also experience headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.

In pregnant women, Listeria infection can lead to miscarriage or premature birth, and serious illness or death in the newborn. For those who are 65 years or older or have weakened immune systems, Listeria infection often leads to hospitalization and sometimes death.

If you experience any of these symptoms after eating enoki mushrooms, call for medical attention immediately.