Colorado health-types said today that the cantaloupe suspected in a listeria outbreak that has sickened at least 11 in Colorado, two in Texas and one in Nebraska and killed one, was grown in the Rocky Ford region of Colorado.

Dr. Chris Urbina, chief medical officer and executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said people at high risk for infection should avoid consuming cantaloupe, including people over 60, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women.

New Mexico health officials also said today three people have died and six others are ill with listeria that preliminary testing has linked to contaminated cantaloupe.

Molecular fingerprinting tests at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are under way to determine if the cases are part of the same outbreak.

What isn’t clear from reports to date is whether the culprit is whole cantaloupe or fresh-cut – the stuff in the plastic containers at retail. Or maybe I missed something.

A table of cantaloupe- (or rock melon) related outbreaks is available at http://bites.ksu.edu/cantaloupe-related-outbreaks.