A fatal Listeria outbreak in Australia has a case fatality rate as high as 28%. As of March 19, 2018, 19 confirmed cases have been reported in Australia alone, all of which are linked with the consumption of rock melon, or cantaloupe.The likely source is The Rombola Family Farm in the Riverina area, which has recalled all melons and ceased production as a result.
The outbreak is even worse in South Africa, which has seen 649 cases and 183 deaths from Listeria since January 2017. The source in South Africa is a processed meat called “polony”, which has contributed to the largest Listeriosis outbreak ever recorded, according to the World Health Organization.