Three people have died from listeria-infested asparagus soup at Odense University Hospital.

The deaths are a result of a new listeria outbreak and are not related to the one that has been traced to the deli meat rullepølse, which has claimed 16 lives.

“There are two different outbreaks and they are not connected. In the asparagus soup, it is a completely different strain of listeria than in the rullepølse outbreak.”

Three of the infections proved fatal, with the most recent death in April.

A recent check by the Danish Food and Veterinary Service (Fødevarestyrelsen) found traces of listeria in three soups at Odense University Hospital and Svendborg Hospital. Listeria was also found in meatballs served with the soups.

In all, 38 people were infected through the rullepølse outbreak, with 16 dying within 30 days of being infected. The last recorded death was on August 25.