Cantaloupe Death Toll Hits 21

Health authorities say that a nationwide outbreak of listeria in cantaloupes is now responsible for 21 deaths and that the number may grow. The CDC today reported new deaths in Indiana and New York and said 109 people have been sickened in the outbreak. The death toll is now tied with a 1998 outbreak of listeria in hot dogs and deli meats. The deadliest outbreak before that is believed to have been listeria in Mexican cheese in 1985. Jensen Farms in Holly, Colorado, recalled the tainted cantaloupes Sept. 14. They were shipped all over the country but should be off store shelves by now. (More cantaloupes stories.)