Kenya bans South Africa meat as WHO declares listeriosis outbreak ‘largest ever’

South African government blamed the sausage known as polony for the listeria poisoning that has killed over 180 people [Courtesy]

Kenya has banned the importation and sale of processed meat products from South Africa after a listeria outbreak was traced to ready-to-eat meat.

Listeriosis can be caught from food containing listeria bacteria, or close contact with farm animals. There have been 948 cases of listeria poisoning in South Africa reported since January 2017, according to Reuters - which the UN calls the largest outbreak ever.