One person has died from a listeria infection following an outbreak potentially linked to desserts supplied to NHS hospitals and care homes, health officials have said.
Two other people who died had listeria at the time of their deaths, with another two people infected.
All five had the infection between May and December last year, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) working to identify the cause.
The UKHSA has found a match for the outbreak strain in a particular type of dessert, but it is understood that the listeria threshold was below the legal threshold of what healthy people can tolerate.
As the dessert is supplied to hospitals and care homes where vulnerable people are cared for, a product recall has been issued. The dessert is not available from retailers.
The manufacturer, Cool Delight Desserts, said it could not comment at this stage.
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Dr Gauri Godbole, deputy director for gastrointestinal infections at UKHSA, said: “The cause of the outbreak isn’t confirmed yet. However, our laboratory testing has identified a potential link to a particular type of dessert.
“Most people who are affected by listeriosis [the foodborne illness caused by the listeria bacteria] will have no symptoms or experience mild diarrhoea which subsides in a few days.
“Those who are more vulnerable like the severely immunocompromised or those with advanced age can be at risk of severe illness such as meningitis and life-threatening sepsis.
“Listeriosis in pregnancy can cause very serious illness in mothers and their babies, and in babies up to one-month-old.”
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Information on the West Midlands Care Association homepage said it had received an FSA alert about Cool Delight Desserts products for the recall of all ice cream, ice cream rolls, mousses and yoghurts.
It said these “products must all be withdrawn from service, and placed in quarantine while investigations are ongoing”.
Listeria infection, called listeriosis, can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, aches and pains and a high temperature.
According to the NHS, listeria bacteria can contaminate a range of food.
However, most infections are caused by eating chilled, ready-to-eat foods like cured meat and fish, cooked shellfish, pre-prepared sandwiches, and pre-cut fruit.
