Health officials have recalled 45,000lbs of ready-to-eat shrimp due to fears it could be contaminated with listeria. The Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers to not eat Bornstein Seafoods of Bellingham, Washington’s Cooked & Peeled, Ready-To-Eat Coldwater Shrimp. The agency said it is believed to be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes – a bacteria capable of causing serious infections in humans .

While a listeria infection usually causes fever, headache and diarrhea in most people, it can be deadly for pregnant women, newborns, elderly and those with weak immune systems. Officials also noted that the product was delivered to distributors and retailers in California , Oregon , Washington and British Columbia in Canada . However, it may have been distributed further and sold at retailers across the US and parts of Canada. The recalled product can be identified under Bornstein Seafoods branded packaging in 1 lb. or 5 lb. plastic bag with lot codes A19008, A19009, P11710, A19009, A19019, A19026, A19030, A19032, A19037, A19039, A18989, A19006, A19007, P11709 and P11710.

As of now, no cases of listeria infection due to the shrimp have been reported. The FDA has asked consumers who purchased the affected product to return it to stores for a full refund. People can become infected with listeria from contaminated food items such as seafood, deli meats, hot dogs, unpasteurized fruit juices, soft cheeses and sprouts. In this case, it is possible that the shrimp may have become contaminated with listeria through poor hygiene, contact with contaminated surfaces and even during the chilling process. The bacteria can survive the stomach acid and travel to the intestine, from which they may migrate into the bloodstream.

Most healthy adults will start to feel sick within a couple of days of consuming contaminated food. It usually starts with flu-like symptoms – a fever, muscle aches or nausea – before progressing to vomiting and diarrhea. Some people begin to feel sick weeks or months after the initial infection. This is because listeria can go dormant when faced with environmental stress, such as in water without nutrients or in the presence of detergents. It can also spread to the central nervous system and cause a stiff neck, seizures, confusion and a loss of balance In the most severe cases, listeria can lead to meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord or pus buildup in the brain which can be deadly to human life.

However, pregnant woman may have mild or no symptoms but can still pass the infection to the fetus, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Babies born with a listeria infection can have developmental delays, develop blindness, paralysis and may even face organ failure – which could lead to death. Every year, about 1,600 people Americans end up with listeria out of which nearly 300 die from the infection. Treatment for listeria infections usually includes taking antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole and ampicillin.

Bornstein Seafoods managed to find listeria contamination in the shrimp during sampling and has since ceased distribution. According to the FDA, the manufacturer is currently investigating the root cause of the contamination.