Consumers have been warned that a listeria outbreak could happen again, with pregnant women and the elderly warned to avoid rockmelon altogether in their summer fruit salads.

A major listeria outbreak between January and April this year led to the death of seven people and a miscarriage.

The Food Authority NSW’s investigation into the outbreak, released on Friday, revealed that heavy rainfall in December followed by dust storms “significantly increased” the amount of listeria on fruit.

Professor Martyn Kirk, an expert in the spread of diseases by contaminated foods, told The New Daily the report did not pinpoint how the listeria got there in the first place.

 “It could happen again,” he said. “But hopefully it won’t, the industry is taking food hygiene very seriously after the outbreak this year.”

Will you avoid eating rockmelon ever again after the listeria outbreak?