At least 13 killed in listeria outbreak in U.S

 　　WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 people had been killed amid 72 sickened in 18 states in listeria outbreak traced to Colorado cantaloupes, making it the most deadly U.S. outbreak of food-borne infection since 1998, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday in a statement posted on its website.

　　Of the 13 deaths, four were in New Mexico, two were in Colorado, two were in Texas, and there was one each in Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

　　Victims range in age from 35 to 96 years, with an average age of 78. All of the illnesses started on or after July 31.

　　The figures were the latest confirmed as of Monday morning, according to the CDC. But they may well rise in the still-widening outbreak as state and local officials are investigating three additional deaths that may be connected.

　　In 1998, 21 people died from listeria linked to tainted¹ hot dogs, according to a CDC online database.

　　The Food and Drug Administration on Sept. 14 warned consumers not to eat cantaloupes from Colorado's Rocky Ford² region shipped by Jensen Farms. The cantaloupes with the brand name Rocky Ford were distributed from July 29 to Sept. 10 in at least 17 states.

　　Listeria is a common bacterium³ that typically causes mild illness in healthy people, but can cause severe illness in older people and those with compromised immune systems. It also can cause miscarriages⁴ and stillbirths in pregnant women and severe infections in new babies.

　　Listeria infections lead to about 1,600 serious illnesses each year and about 260 people die, according to the CDC.

　　The CDC estimates that about 48 million people in the U.S. each year get sick from tainted food, with about 128,000 hospitalized and 3,000 deaths.

1 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

3 bacterium   

n.(pl.)bacteria 细菌

参考例句：

• The bacterium possibly goes in the human body by the mouth.细菌可能通过口进入人体。
• A bacterium is identified as the cause for his duodenal ulcer.一种细菌被断定为造成他十二指肠溃疡的根源。

4 miscarriages   

流产( miscarriage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Miscarriages are usually caused by abnormal chromosome patterns in the fetus. 流产通常是因为胎儿的染色体异常造成的。
• Criminals go unpunishedareconvicted and are miscarriages of justice. 罪犯会逍遥法外，法律会伤及无辜，审判不公时有发生。