Two women died after eating chicken mayonnaise sandwiches suspected of containing listeria bacteria at a Manchester hospital, following a landmark investigation in the UK. Beverley Sowah, 57, and Enid Heap, 84, received the sandwiches on consecutive days while they were patients at Manchester Royal Infirmary in 2019. The women, who had underlying health conditions, died days after consuming the prepackaged sandwiches, prompting an investigation into a national listeria outbreak, with cases outside the hospital. The recently unveiled results have caused shock in England.
What Happened With the Two Listeria Cases?
Retired nurse Beverley Sowah was admitted to the emergency room on April 15, 2019, suffering from advanced breast cancer. Two days later, she was given the sandwich and passed away on April 26. There was no evidence of “suboptimal” care for the woman, apart from the listeria infection “acquired in the hospital,” as heard in court. Meanwhile, Heap, a mother of five, was admitted to the intensive care unit on March 25, 2019, and was served the same type of sandwich on April 18. She passed away on May 6. The two women have been photographed for the first time since their deaths.
The Manchester Coroner’s Court heard that the source of the bacteria was linked to an external food provider, not the hospital kitchens. In the joint investigation of both women, lawyers from North Country Quality Food, based in Salford, who supplied the chicken to Good Food Chain, were present. Both companies went bankrupt after the incident. Good Food Chain in Staffordshire produced sandwiches from their “Whole lotta Good” range and supplied them to hospitals. They made up to 40,000 sandwiches a day, supplying around 70 hospitals.
The Manchester City Forensic Service argued that there are grounds to suspect that they died from a notifiable disease, listeria. The main hypothesis was that the source of the listeria infection was the chicken sandwiches consumed by both women.
Famous Dairy Brand Triggers Deadly Listeria Outbreak
A few weeks ago, Rizo-López Foods Inc. recalled dozens of dairy products in the USA, including popular Super Bowl snacks like fresh cheese and Cotija cheese, after an investigation identified them as the source of a listeria outbreak in several states of the United States, resulting in 23 hospitalizations and two deaths. The withdrawn products were distributed nationally and include cheese, yogurt, and sour cream sold under the brands Rio Grande, Food City, El Huache, La Ordena, San Carlos, Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizo Bros, Campesino, Santa Maria, Dos Ranchitos, Casa Cárdenas, and 365 Whole Foods Market, according to a food safety alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.
The magnitude of the outbreak is likely greater than the currently reported numbers as some people recover without medical attention and are not tested for listeria, according to the CDC. The agency is still investigating the outbreak in collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration.
What Is Listeria?
Listeria (listeria monocytogenes) is a bacterium that can cause severe, sometimes fatal, infections in young children, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Listeria infection in pregnant women can lead to miscarriages and stillbirths. Additionally, healthy individuals may experience only short-term symptoms. Infection can manifest as fever, muscle aches, excessive tiredness, severe headaches, nausea, stomach pain, or diarrhea. Symptoms typically start within two weeks after consuming contaminated food but can begin as soon as the same day or as late as 10 weeks afterward.
The CDC reported being aware of 26 people from 11 states in the USA who have been infected with the outbreak strain of listeria between June 2014 and December 2023. The two deaths associated with the infections were reported in California and Texas.
Alert for Listeria Outbreak in the USA
Consumers should check their refrigerators and freezers for any of the products and discard them immediately. They should also clean the refrigerator and any container or surface that may have come into contact with the withdrawn products, as listeria can survive in the refrigerator and spread to other foods and surfaces. The primary recommendation for anyone affected by listeria is to immediately contact their doctor if they experience any of the mentioned symptoms after consuming the dairy products withdrawn from the market.
This is not the first time that Rizo-López Foods Inc. products have been recalled in listeria-related cases. The company recalled its aged Cotija cheese in early January after state authorities in Hawaii found listeria in the product.
This story was written in Spanish by Miguel Fernandez in Cultura Colectiva News.
