WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Colorado-based Gold Star Sausage Co., Inc. is voluntarily recalling about 15,514 pounds of sausage products that federal officials fear could cause listeriosis, a potentially fatal disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday. The meat, some of which was produced on Dec. 9th, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which can bring about high fever, headaches, neck stiffness and nausea, USDA said. So far there have been no reported illnesses associated with the sausage products being recalled, USDA said. The meat was sold in retail and institutional establishments in an 18-state area. Healthy individuals are not usually susceptible to the illness, but it can cause infections to infants, the elderly, or people with HIV or cancer. It can also cause miscarriages. Each package bears the establishment number "EST. 1106" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The sausage products were distributed to retail and institutional establishments in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah, the agency said. USDA said the problem was discovered through microbiological testing completed by a non-government laboratory.
