Californian among 4 dead from listeria outbreak linked to mushrooms

At least one person in California has died from a listeria infection linked to imported mushrooms distributed by a Southern California company, federal health officials said this week.

Montebello-based Sun Hong Foods issued a recall Monday for the enoki mushrooms suspected as the source of the outbreak — which has infected 36 people in 17 states, hospitalized 30 and killed four people in California, Hawaii and New Jersey, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The illnesses linked to the mushrooms, which are imported from South Korea, span a period from November 2016 to December of last year, to December of last year, health officials said.

“This investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and if additional products are linked to illness,” the CDC wrote in a statement Tuesday.

The recent recall affects enoki mushrooms — which are white, with long stems and small caps — that were sold in 7.05-oounce clear plastic bags labeled “Product of Korea” on the front and “Sun Hong Foods, Inc.” on the back, according to the CDC and a notice from the company.

Customers who bought the mushrooms are urged not to eat them and return the package to the place of purchase for a full refund, the company said. Anyone with questions can call Sun Hong Foods at (323) 597-1112.

The CDC also recommends thoroughly washing and sanitizing surfaces or containers that have come in contact with the mushrooms.

Listeria is an infection that’s typically caused by eating food contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium. Symptoms — which can include fever, muscle aches, headache, fatigue and loss of balance — typically appear one to four weeks after exposure, according to the CDC.