92% of deadly listeriosis strain traced to Polokwane facility

The NICD has confirmed that 199 people have died from listeriosis since the start of the year. 

1019 cases have been confirmed in total.

According to Dr Juno Thomas, the ST6 strain, which is responsible for the deadly outbreak, has now been found in more than 92% of patients affected by the disease.

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Thomas says out of the 442 samples tested, results of 406 pointed the finger at Enterprise Foods.

"The ST6 is the outbreak strain and it has been found in 92% of the patients that bacterial isolates that we have done sequencing so far, and 38 isolates from food and environmental samples have also been identified as ST6. This means that food samples and environmental samples that were taken at the Enterprise Foods' Polokwane facility." 

This means that of those diagnosed, only 8% did not contract the disease through the ST6 strain.

Thomas however says that the 8% could have been cases "before the outbreak, usually we see 60 to 80 listeriosis cases per year and those are what we call sporadic."

Enterprise Foods says it is aware of the finding by the NICD, and are conducting their own tests.

"It is extremely distressing that despite more than meeting food industry safety standards, there is an indication by the NICD that LST6 has been found in some of our products," says the company's CEO Lawrence MacDougall.