Latest Listeria Outbreak Linked to Pregnancy Loss—What Expectant Moms Must Know

Latest Listeria Outbreak Linked to Pregnancy Loss—What Expectant Moms Must Know

M Hasan    4:39 AM   

Understanding the Listeria Outbreak and Its Impact on Pregnant Individuals

A recent Listeria outbreak has raised concerns across the United States. As of late October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported seven new illnesses and two additional deaths linked to this outbreak. The source of the contamination is prepared pasta products sold at grocery stores nationwide. To date, 27 people in 18 states have been infected, with 25 hospitalizations and six fatalities. Tragically, one individual who contracted Listeria lost her pregnancy.

For pregnant individuals, this situation can be especially alarming. However, there are steps that can be taken to minimize the risk of infection and protect both the mother and the unborn child. Below is a detailed breakdown of what you need to know about this outbreak and how to stay safe.

What to Know About the Food Contaminated by Listeria

According to the latest CDC update, 27 people have been infected during this outbreak. Of those interviewed, 54% reported eating precooked meals, and 57% said they had consumed chicken fettuccine alfredo. Many of these meals were purchased from Walmart or Kroger’s refrigerated section. Some also mentioned consuming salads containing pasta from various stores.

Dr. Zachary Hoy, a board-certified pediatric infectious disease specialist, advises everyone to check their refrigerators for any of the recalled items and discard them if found. He notes that some products may have “best by” dates as late as October 29. A full list of affected products is available on the FDA website.

Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, explains that Listeria is a type of bacteria that can contaminate food. “Typically, we see Listeria outbreaks associated with unwashed produce, raw milk, cheeses, and deli meats,” she says. “Infected foods do not always smell bad, but if food does smell bad, it should be thrown out.”

All the Foods Affected by the Recall

The FDA has issued recalls for several products associated with the outbreak. These include:

• Sprouts Farmers Market Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad: Use by dates from 10/10/25 through 10/29/25
• Giant Eagle smoked mozzarella pasta salad: Expiration dates from 9/30/25 through 10/7/25
• Scott & Jon’s Shrimp Scampi with Linguini Bowls (9.6 oz): Best if used by dates from 3/12/2027 to 3/21/2027
• Trader Joe’s Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettucine Alfredo (16 oz): Best if used by dates from 9/20/2025 to 10/10/2025
• Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce (12 oz): Best if used by dates from 9/22/25 to 10/1/25
• Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine (12.3 oz and 32.8 oz): Best by dates up to 6/27/2025
• Home Chef Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (12.5 oz): Best by date of 6/19/25 or prior
• Kroger deli bowtie and penne pasta salads: Recalled from August 29 through October 2, 2025
• Albertsons store-made deli pasta salads: Recalled with sell-by dates from September 8 to October 4, 2025

These products were sold at major retailers such as Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and Trader Joe’s.

What Else We Know About the Outbreak So Far

The outbreak began in June and was linked to prepared pasta dinners from food supplier Nate's Fine Foods. Cases have been reported in California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

What Are the Risks of Listeria, and Who Is Most at Risk?

While most low-risk individuals infected with Listeria may not require medical attention, higher-risk groups face more severe complications. Dr. Shira Doron, chief infection control officer for Tufts Medicine, explains that symptoms for lower-risk individuals typically include intestinal issues like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. However, for high-risk individuals—such as pregnant women, newborns, people over 65, and those with weakened immune systems—symptoms can be more serious, including sepsis and meningitis.

What Are the Risks of Listeria to Pregnant People?

Pregnant individuals are at a significantly higher risk of contracting Listeria due to decreased immunity during pregnancy, according to Dr. Kecia Gaither, a double board-certified OB/GYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist. This increased vulnerability can lead to serious complications, including miscarriage, preterm delivery, severe newborn infections, stillbirth, or neonatal demise.

Symptoms of Listeria in pregnant individuals may resemble mild flu-like symptoms, such as headache, muscle aches, fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Neurological symptoms, like stiff neck, disorientation, or convulsions, may also occur. Symptoms can appear days or even up to two months after exposure to contaminated food.

If you suspect exposure to Listeria, it is essential to consult your healthcare provider immediately. A blood test can confirm the infection, and early antibiotic treatment can reduce risks to the fetus.

Listeria Symptoms in Newborns

Newborns can contract Listeria from their mothers during delivery. If your baby shows any of the following symptoms, contact their pediatrician right away:

• Extreme fatigue
• Vomiting
• No appetite
• Yellowish skin or eyes
• A skin rash
• Any trouble breathing

Listeria in newborns is diagnosed through blood, urine, or cerebrospinal fluid testing. Antibiotics are used for treatment. While the risk of transmission through breastmilk is low, seek guidance from your pediatrician if you are infected and breastfeeding.

How Can Pregnant People Protect Themselves from Listeria?

Prevention is key to avoiding Listeria infections. Dr. Gaither recommends avoiding the following foods during pregnancy:

• Deli meats and hot dogs unless reheated until steaming hot
• Refrigerated pate, meat spreads, or smoked seafood
• Unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk
• Raw or undercooked seafood, eggs, meat, or poultry
• Unwashed raw fruits and vegetables
• Ready-to-eat salads
• Unpasteurized juices

It is also important to seek medical care promptly if you or your newborn show any symptoms. If you live in an area affected by a food recall and have consumed any of the listed products, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

Trump's Tylenol Warning: Missing Data on Drug Effects During Pregnancy

Trump's Tylenol Warning: Missing Data on Drug Effects During Pregnancy

M Hasan    1:00 AM   

The Challenges of Conducting Research with Pregnant Women

The recent controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s warnings about Tylenol and its potential link to autism has brought attention to a broader issue: the lack of comprehensive data on the safety and effectiveness of many drugs during pregnancy. This problem has only worsened since the fall of Roe v. Wade, as state abortion bans have created new barriers for including women of reproductive age in drug trials and other health studies.

Medical experts and women’s health advocates argue that these restrictions are making it harder to gather reliable data, as both scientists and participants face increased legal risks if a drug harms a fetus. Without clear information on how medications affect pregnant women, navigating conflicting messages from government agencies and medical groups becomes even more challenging.

The Impact of Abortion Bans on Medical Research

The Trump administration has emphasized its commitment to “gold-standard science” when it comes to testing the safety of pharmaceutical drugs during pregnancy. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon stated that the president’s warnings about Tylenol and autism stem from a dedication to sharing critical public health information once it becomes available.

However, emerging data suggests that this kind of scientific evidence is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain in many parts of the U.S. For example, PRESTO, a federally funded online database where people trying to conceive share data with researchers, saw a 27% drop in participation in states that banned abortion after the Dobbs ruling. There was no such decline in states with abortion protections.

Allison Whelan, a bioethicist at Georgia State University, explained that in the post-Dobbs era, research involving pregnant individuals is becoming more ethically and legally complex. Concerns about causing harm to a fetus could lead to potential violations of fetal personhood laws or abortion laws.

Legal and Ethical Challenges

Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, 12 states have enacted complete abortion bans, while 10 more have bans that apply before fetal viability (around 22 to 24 weeks). Some of these laws date back decades, long before women had the right to vote or ultrasounds were available. Others were passed in the lead-up to or shortly after the Dobbs decision.

Lawmakers who support these policies claim they aim to protect both fetuses and mothers, arguing that women are often coerced into terminating pregnancies. Some red-state lawmakers have amended their bans in response to unintended consequences, such as an increase in sepsis and hemorrhaging in Texas. However, most have not added exceptions for fetal anomalies, despite concerns that diagnoses can be incorrect.

This means that in 10 states where abortion is prohibited, women whose fetuses develop birth defects must either travel out of state or carry the pregnancy to term, even if the fetus is likely to die shortly after birth.

Ethical Guidelines and Research Protocols

The ethical guidelines governing most research today were developed by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research in 1974 — the year after Roe legalized abortion nationwide. According to the World Health Organization, any research involving pregnant women that could harm a fetus should only occur in settings where safe and legal abortion access is guaranteed.

In the current post-Dobbs landscape, however, the patchwork of abortion restrictions creates uncertainty for both researchers and participants. A 2024 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine noted that fear of liability is a major obstacle to enrolling pregnant women in medical studies.

Risks to Researchers and Participants

Clinical trials often require female participants to take regular pregnancy tests to monitor for any potential harm to a developing fetus. Some trials also require reporting adverse pregnancy outcomes like miscarriages, stillbirths, or birth defects.

After Dobbs, some scientists worry that this information — which is not protected by federal privacy laws — could be subpoenaed and used in prosecutions. Several state bans also threaten felony charges for anyone who helps a patient obtain an abortion, raising concerns that researchers could be targeted for simply learning about a trial participant’s pregnancy and discussing options with them.

The FDA issued draft guidance urging researchers to include pregnant and lactating women in studies but did not address the varying levels of abortion access across states or offer ways to protect researchers and participants from legal risks.

Legal Consequences and Fear

Many states have “chemical endangerment” laws that have been used to prosecute women for using drugs during pregnancy, including prescription medications. A New York Times investigation found thousands of cases between 2016 and 2023 where mothers were reported for taking antidepressants, ADHD medications, and even over-the-counter cold medicine.

A September report by Pregnancy Justice revealed nearly 400 charges were brought against women in 16 states for substance use during pregnancy between 2022 and 2024. In some states, like Alabama, prosecutors do not need to prove harm to the fetus to secure a conviction.

Longstanding Issues in Medical Research

Anti-abortion activists argue that excluding women of reproductive age from medical research is not a new problem. For decades, women have been left out of drug trials due to fears of causing birth defects. This has led to many drugs’ side effects on pregnant individuals being discovered only after they are on the market.

Despite policy changes in the 1990s that allowed more women to participate in clinical trials, researchers still struggle to enroll enough pregnant women. Women remain underrepresented in studies of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and blood disorders, putting them at greater risk for adverse drug reactions.

The Need for Better Data

With the current lack of data on drug safety during pregnancy, women’s health advocates warn that focusing on drugs like Tylenol may deter pregnant women from taking needed medications, worsening conditions that can harm both mothers and fetuses.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has focused on drugs used by pregnant women, leading to recommendations that may discourage necessary treatments. Clinicians fear this could result in uncontrolled fevers and other health issues that increase the risk of miscarriages and birth defects.

Conclusion

The challenges of conducting research with pregnant women are complex and multifaceted. As legal and ethical boundaries shift, the scientific community faces growing uncertainty about how to proceed safely and effectively. Without better data, the risks to both mothers and fetuses will continue to rise, leaving many without clear guidance on the safest treatment options.