(CNN) -- Thirteen people have died from consuming bacteria-tainted cantaloupe in what has become the most fatal U.S. outbreak of a food-borne illness since 1998, according to records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak -- blamed on the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes -- was first reported September 12, when the CDC said 15 people in four states had been infected. The illnesses were traced to consumption of Rocky Ford cantaloupes grown at Jensen Farms' fields in Granada, Colorado. As of Monday morning, it had grown to 18 states, 72 illnesses and 13 deaths, according to the CDC's latest statistics.
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NEW: The CDC warns consumers to throw out suspect fruit and watch for illnesses
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Tainted cantaloupes are linked to 13 deaths; 72 illnesses have been reported in 18 states
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The illnesses are linked to Rocky Ford cantaloupes grown at Jensen Farms in Colorado
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4 families affected have filed lawsuits
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