Listeria outbreak update

As of October 17, 2011, a total of 123 persons infected with any of the four outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported to CDC from 26 states. 25 deaths have been reported. In addition, one woman pregnant at the time of illness had a miscarriage. All illnesses started on or after July 31, 2011.
 Here is the epi curve from CDC:

This is an excellent example of a single source epidemiological curve or epidemic curve. There still might be more reports of new positive cases since Listeria continues to grow at refrigeration temperatures. The numbers will dwindle back to the normal background reports, thankfully. The melons are gone out of most home refrigerators. Normally, there are as many as 600 positive reports each year. The thing that made this Listeria outbreak so different was that it originated in produce - melons and that it was so widespread. We usually see it in homemade cheeses and preserved meats.
There are reports out that claim the outbreak was due to less-than-sanitary-conditions at the processing plant at the farm. They had just bought used processing equipment in June that showed corrosion and was difficult to clean. Plus there were no drains in the floor allowing dirty water to accumulate. Interestingly, the outbreak started in July.
As it turns out, when the FDA tested EVERYTHING in and around the farm, trucks, processing plants they discovered the fields were clean (well, as clean as fields get) - no Listeria. Where did they find it?
1. In the puddles on the processing facility plant
2. In and around the old but newly acquired processing equipment
3. In the truck that carried the "not fit for human consumption - past their prime" melons that went to and from a farm nearby that had pigs and cows.
Another thing that contributed to the outbreak was the fact that they did not "flash cool" the melons as they came out of the field. Anyone who knows anything about food knows that you must first cool warm food before you put it in the refrigerator. What happens to the inside of the food? It stays warm.....sometimes for a LONG time! PERFECT for bacterial growth.
With any luck, this outbreak will soon come to an end and we'll all learn a valuable lesson about food handling. Too bad and sad that so many people got sick and that 25 had died.