Likely cause of listeria outbreak at three Qld hospitals revealed

A listeria-tainted chicken product could be spread across Queensland’s commercial kitchens in hospitals, nursing homes and cafes, the Chief Health Officer has confirmed.

A listeria-tainted chicken product could be spread across commercial kitchens in hospitals, nursing homes and cafes, Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard has revealed as experts home in on the source of one of three outbreaks.

Dr Gerrard confirmed Queensland Health’s network of food detectives had worked out M&J Chickens easy-serve breast fillet 2kg packs (batch No.A5497) was the source of nine listeria cases across three states so far.

Five of those cases were infected in Queensland, with four cases linked back to the Mater in South Brisbane as the most probable location and the other from the Redcliffe Hospital.

There had previously been suggestions a hospital in the Sunshine Coast HHS area was also linked to the outbreak, but Dr Gerrard said this was a “red herring” because the infected person had also been at the Mater.

Dr Gerrard said a formal recall process for the easy-shred chicken would occur in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Chief Health Officer John Gerrard.

The company lists aged care, hospitals, catering, prisons and defence as customers.

Dr Gerrard said how far and wide the batch of listeria-ridden chicken had travelled was not yet known, with Queensland’s public health sleuths and scientists making the firm link to the chicken product earlier on Monday.

“It is not a retail product so it won’t be in your home kitchen, but there will be a lot of commercial kitchens, hospitals, restaurants, cafes, maybe nursing homes, other places where food is prepared in large quantities,” he said.

“My understanding also it is also possible that there has been some on selling of the product.”

Dr Gerrard said the realities of commercial food distribution and the long incubation period meant it was likely there would be cases popping up across the country “for some time”.

Mater Private Hospital Brisbane.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria largely spread through eating contaminated food.

Listeriosis usually causes only a mild illness but can be deadly.

It can progress to septicaemia and/or meningitis – known as invasive listeriosis.

There are a total of three listeria outbreaks, with each one causing clusters across Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

Dr Gerrard said it was “unusual” for three separate clusters of listeria to each be spread across three states and it was “certain” two more sources of listeria would be identified.

He said it was “extraordinary” Queensland experts had managed to narrow down the source chicken and that interstate colleagues had doubted this was possible.