One of the Texas patients sickened in a multistate listeria outbreak linked to caramel apples may have bought a caramel apple in Dallas County, health officials say.
The patient is not a resident of Dallas County. County health officials stress there have been no reports of listeria linked to caramel apples among Dallas County residents.
The caramel apple was bought in October.
Listeriosis has been linked to prepackaged caramel apples. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the and five deaths linked to the bacterial illness. More than two dozen people got sick.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reports four cases, including one death that's among the five listed by the CDC.
Symptoms of the infection include fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions and muscle aches.
Infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or premature delivery, health officials warn.
The Associated Press reported last week:
Spokeswoman Christine Mann says the Texas cases involved adults with pre-existing medical conditions. They were sick between Oct. 17 and Nov. 7. Mann declined to release further details. Consumers are being warned not to eat prepackaged caramel apples amid the search for the contamination source.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
