Listeria outbreak: Four dead and two miscarriages in potential infection from recalled enoki mushrooms

US CDC says mushrooms were labelled as coming from Korea

FDA and CDC say mushrooms are long stemmed with small white caps (FDA)

Four people have died and another 30 have been hospitalised with listeria, after eating what officials suspect were recalled enoki mushrooms from the company Sung Hong Foods.

The mushrooms were recalled on Monday with the Food and Drug Administration's website claiming they may be contaminated with listeria, a deadly bacteria.

The deaths were reported in California, Hawaii and New Jersey, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which has received a total of 36 reports of infected people in 17 states.

Six of those cases involved pregnant women, and there have been two reported miscarriages among them, the CDC has said.

"Do not eat, serve, or sell any recalled enoki mushrooms distributed by Sung Hong Foods, Inc," the CDC said on its website.

The enoki mushrooms in question are labelled as products of Korea, and are long and white with small caps, according to the CDC.

They were sold in clear plastic packages with green labels, in 7.05-ounce/200-gram portions.

The source of contamination is being investigated, and it is not clear whether other products might be linked to the illness.

Listeria symptoms generally start one to four weeks after eating contaminating food, and the infections can be treated with antibiotics.

Those symptoms are different for different people. Most people experience headaches, stiff necks, confusion, loss of balance, muscle aches, fever and convulsions.

Pregnant women are at a danger of miscarriage, stillbirth, life threatening infection for the newborn and premature delivery.