2 in S'pore infected by listeria strain similar to Aussie outbreak
Two people in Singapore were infected by a listeria strain similar to the one found in a patient in Australia in a deadly outbreak of listeriosis earlier this year.
The Ministry of Health said yesterday that one of the two patients has recovered and the other died "for reasons not due to the listeria infection".
The ministry has completed genetic sequence analysis on the listeria bacteria strains from five patients this year. Two patients were infected with the listeria strain ST240.
Rock melons contaminated with listeria bacteria from Australia have resulted in seven deaths and one miscarriage from January to April 6, said a report by the World Health Organisation.
The rock melons had been exported to nine countries, with at least two shipments bound for Singapore.
These were sold in Sheng Siong outlets and wet marketsfrom Feb 12 to March 2 but were recalled by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore.
A Health Ministry spokesman said: "There is no further public health risk from the Australia outbreak as the risks have been mitigated through the recall of the implicated consignments in March." - AQIL HAMZAH
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