Men Sickened By Listeria-Contaminated Ice Cream

Two Washington state men were hospitalized from the consumption of Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Medical tests showed that they had been infected with Listeria, an infection that typically results from eating contaminated food.

The men, both in their 50s, live in King County and have now been hospitalized. Department spokesman Donn Moyer added that both of the men are also dealing with underlying medical conditions.

Laboratory tests confirmed that they had been infected with a strain of bacteria from the ice cream. One became ill at the end of November, and the other the first week of December.

"They were ill, the disease investigation started, they started noticing some similarities, and traced it back to this product," Moyer said, in a statement. 

Company officials issued a voluntary recall on Tuesday for all flavors and sizes of their ice cream, custard, gelato and sorbet made on or between Jan. 1 and Dec. 15.

The ice cream along with other products from the Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream company were distributed in five states, including Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. However, officials noted that they may also have been sold in Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

Statistics show that an estimated 1,600 people get sick from Listeria germs each year. Of these, about 260 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pregnant women, elderly individuals and those with compromised immune systems are at a greater risk of infection.

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