Bacteria Outbreak Traced to Meat Plant

A bacterial outbreak that has killed four people and sickened 38 others across the country since August has been traced to meat products made at a Sara Lee subsidiary. Tests showed listeria contamination in four unopened packages of hot dogs from the Bil Mar Foods plant in Zeeland, Mich., 15 miles southwest of Grand Rapids, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Sara Lee recalled several brands of hot dogs and cold cuts last month when the bacteria were found in an open package of hot dogs. Since early August, 42 cases caused by a single listeria strain have been identified in 11 states: Ohio, Minnesota, New York, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, Oregon, Vermont and Georgia.