The FDA has begun inspections of a company linked to a listeria outbreak, but has not released the name of the company.

The Food and Drug Administration has also begun sample collection and testing and on-site inspection but the agency has not reported what food is being tested or what location is being inspected. As of Jan. 2, there were 31 confirmed patients in the outbreak. The FDA has not reported where the patients live or whether any of them have been hospitalized.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.

It can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. 

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. 

In other outbreak news, the patient counts in two outbreaks traced to fresh produce are holding steady.

For an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections traced to romaine lettuce the patient count stands at 88. Although the FDA has found the supplier of the lettuce, it is not releasing the name of the company. Patients are spread across 12 states. The implicated romaine was distributed to restaurants, caterers and a sch...