The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today that 21 people have now died nationwide as a result of the listeria outbreak in Colorado cantaloupe.
The federal agency raised the toll from 18 in its previous count, and added that a total of 109 people have reported illnesses matching the characteristics of the outbreak.
The climbing toll makes the listeria outbreak, traced to the sole source of Jensen Farms cantaloupe from near Holly, one of the deadliest food-borne illnesses in decades.
Federal and state authorities are still testing to pinpoint the exact cause of the listeria in the Jensen Farms cantaloupe, which was recalled nationwide on Sept. 14.
Michael Booth: 303-954-1686 or mbooth@denverpost.com
