Overview

• National reference lab matched Listeria isolates from cases in Buenos Aires province, CABA and Tucumán to a single queso criollo sample through genomic sequencing
• Health teams tested 26 ready-to-eat food samples during epidemiological probes and found Listeria monocytogenes in five, including the implicated cheese
• Officials seized ready-to-eat products from the identified plant and issued public warnings emphasizing the heightened risk for pregnant, elderly and immunocompromised individuals
• Authorities highlighted listeriosis’ incubation period of 12 hours to two months and recommended rigorous handwashing, surface sanitation and thorough cooking to curb transmission
• The outbreak underscored oversight gaps among small-scale producers and prompted calls for reinforced good manufacturing practices and more frequent inspections