The CDC is investigating an outbreak of listeria that started last year.

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At a Glance

One person has died and 22 have been hospitalized.The outbreak affected people in 10 different states.Many of them lived in or traveled to Florida before getting sick.

The CDC says ice cream made in Sarasota, Florida, may to blame for a listeria outbreak that has killed at least one person and sent 22 others to hospitals.

Listeria is a food-borne illness that is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, older adults and those with compromised immune systems.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies are , which the CDC says started Jan. 24, 2021. As of Friday, the most recent case reported was June 21. The people sickened live in 10 different states ranging from Colorado to Minnesota to Massachusetts.

Twenty of the people lived in or traveled to in the month before they got sick.

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An update posted Saturday by the CDC said ice cream manufactured by Big Olaf Creamery, only sold in Florida, was to the outbreak. Of 17 people who were sickened and interviewed by the CDC, 14 reported eating ice cream. Of those, six remembered eating Big Olaf Creamery brand ice cream or eating ice cream at locations that might have been supplied by Big Olaf.

The agency is advising anyone who has Big Olaf products at home to throw them out, and is asking retail locations to stop serving or selling it.

Big Olaf Creamery hasn't issued a recall but is voluntarily recommending distributors stop selling their products for now, according to the CDC.

In a Facebook post, the company said the link to its products is " as it is an ongoing investigation."

The company's website lists 15 ice cream parlors that Big Olaf products, and says it's also supplied to senior homes, restaurants, fairs and supermarkets. A family run business since 1982, the ice cream is advertised as being handmade.

Listeria outbreaks are typically linked to a specific food product eaten by those afflicted, Elliot Ryser, a professor in food science and human nutrition at Michigan State University, told weather.com Friday.

Common culprits are raw milk cheeses, deli meat and fresh produce. People in high-risk categories are advised to avoid those foods.

In the current outbreak, the 23 people sickened ranged in age from 1 to 92, according to the CDC. One death was reported in Illinois. Five of the patients were pregnant, and one fetus was lost.

"The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," the CDC report said. "In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak."

Millions of people become sick from food-borne illnesses every year in the U.S., but only about 1,600 cases of listeria , according to the CDC. About 260 of those are typically fatal.

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of listeria range from mild and flu-like to fever, stiff neck, confusion and seizures. The CDC advises anyone at higher risk to contact their health care provider if they have any symptoms.

Ryser said the outbreak isn't cause for concern for most people.

"If you’re normal and healthy, listeria really is not a major health issue," he said. "People are exposed to it probably on a weekly or biweekly basis in very low numbers."

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