Though she can't know for sure, McDade suspects that the source of her attack was packaged, presliced ham she had eaten three weeks before the stillbirth. In 1998, listeria-contaminated hot dogs and deli meats from Bil Mar Foods, a division of the Sara Lee Corporation, resulted in more than 100 illnesses, six stillbirths or miscarriages, and 15 adult deaths across the United States a deadly prelude to a company recall of 15 million pounds of processed meats that began later that year.
Improper food handling in our own kitchens can also lead to illness.
A 1998 USDA survey revealed that one quarter of respondents didn't wash cutting boards after slicing raw meat, and that half ate raw or undercooked eggs. Changes in work and family life have also resulted in families eating out more putting us at the mercy of young and often inexperienced food handlers. Of course, consumers can't be expected to bear all of the responsibility. It comes to you with what people believe is a guarantee from your government. The federal government has created an improved surveillance system to monitor disease and to quickly detect outbreaks.