More suspected cases of listeriosis in Catalonia

Suspected cases of Listeriosis in Catalonia has risen to six on Thursday after two more people have been suffering symptoms after consuming contaminated meat in Andalusia. 

While last week the Spanish Ministry of Health identified three confirmed cases in Catalonia, the Catalan Department of Health quickly denied this, stressing that until now, the cases are only suspected. 

The outbreak has been caused by contaminated meatloaf from Sevillan company Magrudis. All Magrudis products have since been removed from the market by the Board of Andalusia. 

So far, there have been three confirmed deaths from this outbreak - two women in Sevilla, aged 90 and 74, and a man in Cantabria, aged 62.

The Spanish government has alerted the World Health Organization of the possibility of it spreading abroad, due to risks for tourists travelling in and out of Andalusia. 

The illness is caused by listeria bacteria that infects people who eat contaminated food. Symptoms, which may develop between days and weeks after consuming, include fever, headaches, muscle aches and digestive issues. Those with chronic illness, weak immune system and/or that are older than 65 are more susceptible to infection.