A Listeria outbreak affecting certain recalled frozen meals sold at Trader Joe’s and Walmart has led to four deaths as well as 19 hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated and expanded a food safety alert regarding possible Listeria contamination in several prepared pasta meal products. The extent of the outbreak is now known to have occurred in at least 15 states and has unfortunately resulted in multiple deaths. Here’s what you need to know.

Listeria Outbreak: What’s happened?

Listeria: What Products Are Included In The Outbreak?

Several pasta products have been linked to Listeria contamination, according to the CDC and USDA FSIS.

September 26 update:

• FreshRealm Beef Meatball Marinara Linguine Meals

September 25 update:

• Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce
• Trader Joe’s Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettuccine Alfredo

June 2025 notices:

• Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine, White Meat Chicken, and Parmesan Cheese
• Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli, and Parmesan Cheese
• Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled White Meat Chicken and Parmesan

Listeria Outbreak 2025: Where Were The Products Sold?

The recalled meals were sold at major retailers including Kroger, Walmart, and Trader Joe’s. Even if some of these products are no longer on sale, they may still be in refrigerators or freezers at home, so consumers are urged to check and discard them if necessary.

Where Is The Listeria Outbreak Located?

The CDC has confirmed cases in 15 states:

• California: 2
• Florida: 1
• Illinois: 1
• Indiana: 1
• Louisiana: 2
• Michigan: 2
• Minnesota: 1
• Missouri: 1
• Nevada: 1
• North Carolina: 1
• Ohio: 1
• South Carolina: 1
• Texas: 3
• Utah: 1
• Virginia: 1

Officials note that these are only the reported cases and the actual number of infections is likely higher than currently documented.

What is Listeria And What Are Its Symptoms?

Listeria is a bacterium that can cause serious illness. Each year, about 1,250 people in the US are infected, with around 172 deaths. Anyone can contract Listeria, but it is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms vary depending on age, health, and whether the infection has spread beyond the intestines.

• Pregnant individuals: Fever and flu-like symptoms may signal an invasive infection.
• Others: Fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures can occur if the illness spreads.

Children around the world lose an estimated 8.45 million days of healthy life each year due to second-hand smoke, according to research shared at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam. The impact is especially severe for children from low-income communities, who are more likely to encounter smoke at home, in public areas, or in indoor spaces, even though they themselves do not smoke.

Second-Hand Smoke’s Toll on ChildrenRecent studies confirm that second-hand smoke (SHS, which is also known as passive smoking, is a major factor in childhood illness and mortality, contributing to both deaths and long-term disabilities. Research published in Respiratory Research (2025) highlights the global scale of the problem, telling which populations are most affected and the conditions that maintain or increase exposure. The findings suggest that the health burden may be even higher than previously estimated, emphasizing the need for stronger protections.

What the Data ShowsThe Global Burden of Diseases 2021 analysis reports that while age-standardized exposure to SHS has slightly declined since 1990, the absolute number of deaths and lost healthy life years has not fallen, largely due to population growth and aging. Around half of all children worldwide are still exposed to smoke, with the heaviest burden falling on regions with lower socio-economic development. Many low- and middle-income countries have yet to implement comprehensive smoke-free policies in indoor environments.

Passive Smoking Impact on Young Children

Second-hand smoke contributes significantly to respiratory illnesses. In 2019, roughly 6.94% of deaths from lower respiratory infections in children under five were linked to SHS exposure, with infants under one year at particular risk. The loss of healthy life years remains high, and trends show slow improvement in regions such as South Asia.

Beyond respiratory issues, SHS exposure is linked to stunted growth, ear infections, and long-term lung problems. According to WHO data, nearly 150 million children worldwide were stunted in 2022, and second-hand smoke, both during pregnancy and after birth, is a contributing factor. Studies also show that SHS can cause changes in DNA methylation, potentially altering gene expression and increasing susceptibility to future disease.

Challenges in Protecting Children

Homes remain the primary setting for exposure, even as public smoking bans expand. Social and economic factors—such as crowded living conditions, poor ventilation, lower awareness of risks, and weaker regulatory enforcement—further increase children’s vulnerability.

Precaution Steps That You Can Adopt

1. Create and enforce completely smoke-free indoor spaces, including homes and vehicles.
2. Increase awareness among caregivers and the public, emphasizing the dangers of indoor smoking.
3. Simple measures, like smoking outdoors away from doors and windows, can make a difference.
4. Pregnant women should avoid SHS entirely, as exposure in utero can lead to low birth weight and preterm births.
5. Health systems should track SHS exposure in children through routine check-ups and surveys.

Second-hand smoke is far from a minor concern. It remains a threat to child health, causing preventable illness, developmental setbacks, and death. Protecting children requires a combination of effective policies, public awareness, and everyday actions by parents, caregivers, and communities. Even small steps, like choosing smoke-free homes and outdoor smoking can significantly reduce risks.

New covid strain symptoms: A new Covid strain is circulating in the UK, now accounting for a noticeable share of cases in England. Named Stratus, it has two variants, XFG and XFG.3. Experts have pointed out that one of its distinguishing features may be a hoarse voice, which is less common in earlier strains. By September 10, 2025, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported a 7.6% increase in coronavirus cases across England compared to the previous week, though it’s not clear how many infections are linked specifically to XFG.

At the same time, the UK is facing a “tripledemic” which is a rise in Covid, flu, and RSV infections at the same time. This has left many people confused about whether their symptoms are caused by Covid or just a seasonal illness. Below, we explain how to spot the differences.

What Is the Tripledemic?

A tripledemic happens when cases of flu, Covid-19, and RSV rise sharply in the community. Dr. Armando Paez, chief of Infectious Disease at Baystate Health, explains that a tripledemic becomes concerning when infections reach a level that could overwhelm healthcare services.

While the idea of three viruses circulating at once may feel alarming, there are steps you can take to protect yourself, your family, and your community. Vaccinations, good hygiene, and staying home if you feel unwell are key precautions.

New Covid Strain: Stratus (XFG and XFG.3)

The World Health Organization classifies XFG as a “variant under monitoring”, with a low public health risk globally. Compared to other variants, XFG has shown higher growth rates, even surpassing the recently reported Nimbus NB.1.8.1 variant.

New Covid Strain Symptoms: Unique Symptoms of Stratus

While classic Covid symptoms in the UK included fever, cough, and loss of taste or smell, Stratus may appear differently. A notable sign of this variant is a hoarse or raspy voice. Other symptoms may include:

• Shortness of breath and chest tightness
• Sore or scratchy throat
• Headaches and body aches
• Digestive issues, nausea, or loss of appetite
• Brain fog or trouble concentrating
• Loss of taste or smell (less common than before)

How to Tell Covid from Flu or RSV

Symptoms of Covid can overlap with flu and RSV, including:

• Fever or high temperature
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Muscle or joint aches

What makes Stratus different is the hoarse voice, which could be an early clue that your illness is Covid rather than a typical cold or flu. Other signs to watch for include nasal congestion, sore throat, digestive issues, and overall tiredness. RSV, while often mild, can occasionally lead to more serious complications like pneumonia or bronchiolitis.

What You Should Do

As flu, Covid, and RSV spread together this season, health experts urge everyone to stay up to date with vaccines. Dr. Jamie Lopez Bernal of the UKHSA advises getting your winter vaccines early to reduce risk before infections increase further.

If you develop symptoms, monitor your health closely and see a doctor if your condition worsens or persists. Taking precautions now can help protect you and those around you during the ongoing tripledemic.

As per the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, 2.5 million people live with cancer in India, and every year, at least over 7 lakh cancer patients are registered. The data also shows that India has lodged around 5,56,400 cancer-related deaths.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare cited ICMR data and noted that 100 our of 1 lakh people are diagnosed with cancer. The National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) under ICMR has been tracking cancer incidence and burden since 1982 and it has played an essential role in enabling evidence-based policy decision. This has made cancer care more accessible in India, as the policies now focus more on cancer centers, availing cancer care, financial aid, and more.

Cancer Care In India

In fact, the Union Budget for 2025-26 is Rs.99,858.56 crore, with Rs. 95,957.87 crore designated for the Department of Health and Family Welfare and Rs. 3,900.69 crore for the Department of Health Research. The Union Budget also has taken key initiatives like day care cancer center, and custom duty exemptions for 36 lifesaving drugs and medicines essential for treating cancer. Six lifesaving medicines have given concessional customs duty of 5%.

Robust Infrastructure That Extends Cancer Care

As per the Indian Journal of Medical Research's 2024 study by ICMR, India has a robust indigenous pharmaceutical industry that produces cancer and other drugs at some of the lowest costs in the world. There is also a large network of private-sector healthcare facilities that range from low-cost to modern corporate facilities.

India has also welcomed digital health and artificial-intelligence (AI)-based solutions in cancer care, especially in the domain of cancer care and control, which has represented a promising advance.

India's First Homegrown CAR T-Cell Therapy

CAR T-cell therapy is a personalized form of immunotherapy that genetically modifies a patient's T-cell, a type of immune cell, in a laboratory to recognize and kill specific cancer cell.

In October 2023, notes the National Cancer Institute, US, India's counterpart to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, made NexCAR19 India's first approved CAR-T cell therapy.

The approval was based on the results of two small clinical trials conducted in India and was funded by ImmunoACT, a spin-off company of IIT Bombay.

What More India Is Doing In Making Cancer Care Accessible

India is gradually stepping ahead by combining innovation and accessibility to advance cancer care in India. In an attempt to better understand how India is taking a step ahead in cancer care, the upcoming Times Now Health Summit is hosting a session on 'Advancing Cancer Care in India: Bridging Innovation and Accessibility'. The session will feature experts from the field, including oncologists, entrepreneur, and those who have painstakingly worked to make cancer care more accessible.

The panel will feature Anchal Sharma, Social Entrepreneur Founder Canheal, Dinesh G, Therapy Area Head/Business Unit Head - Oncology, Novartis, Dr. Shyam Aggarwal, Chairperson Oncology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, and Dr. Shyam Aggarwal, Chairperson Oncology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

For more details, visit TIMES NETWORK INDIA HEALTH SUMMIT 2025.