CDC reports additional listeria death in Colo.

Owner Eric Jensen examines cantaloupe on the Jensen Farms near Holly, Colo., Sept. 28, 2011. / AP

WASHINGTON - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a third Colorado death linked to listeria in cantaloupes, bringing the nationwide death toll in the outbreak to as many as 17 people.

Listeria outbreak leaves farm town reeling
Listeria illnesses and deaths expected to rise

The CDC said Friday that 84 people in 19 states have become ill after eating Colorado cantaloupes. That number includes 15 deaths, the CDC said. Health departments in Wyoming and Kansas have said they are investigating additional deaths that may be connected to the outbreak.

Jensen Farms in Holly, Colo. recalled its cantaloupes Sept. 14 after the farm's melons were linked to the outbreak. CDC officials have said they expect the death toll to rise because the symptoms of listeria can take several weeks to show up.