The number of people sick and dying from cantaloupe contaminated with Listeria could hit record levels in the United States.  In Idaho they were given away to the public after a grocery distributor decided they were not ripe enough to sell.

So far 16 people have died, and 56 people are sick across the country.  The cantaloupe are from Colorado, but not all are labeled, so the CDC says if you’re not sure where it came from don’t eat it.

At the end of August 43,000 pounds of the cantaloupe were shipped to southeast Idaho.  They were considered too ripe to sell and were donated to the public between August 28 and September 2.

Jensen Farms in Colorado says it shipped cantaloupes to 25 states.  But, the FDA says illnesses have been discovered in several states that are not on the shipping list.  The FDA has reversed an earlier statement about the fruit being shipped to Europe. They now say none of the cantaloupe left the U.S.

Listeria is more deadly than salmonella and E. coli.  The bacteria can grow at room temperatures and even in your refrigerator. It can linger long after the source of the contamination is gone, people should clean and sanitize any surfaces the killer cantaloupe might have touched.

Symptoms of Listeria can show up as soon as three days after eating the contaminated fruit, or as long as 70 days later.  Symptoms could include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.