(NewsNation) — One person is dead, and 23 others are known to be infected with the bacterial disease listeria, a gastrointestinal illness similar to food poisoning.

The Center for Disease Control announced on Thursday it was monitoring an outbreak of the illness, believed to have spread from Florida.

“It’s caused by bacteria and it’s caused by food that we eat,” HFIT Health CEO Dr. Anthony Harris said, “prepared food, meats, poultry, cheeses, unpasteurized dairy products.”

Listeria causes symptoms similar to those of the flu and food poisoning, making it hard for health care professionals to spot, according to Harris.

“Even as health care professionals, we don’t even distinguish between, unless it is actually cultured or tested in a laboratory,” Harris said. “For the vast (majority) of individuals who encounter or become infected with listeria, it’s not reported.”

Listeria often goes away after 48 hours, he added.

For most people, Harris said, it typically causes “what’s called non-invasive disease, which means that it doesn’t affect other organs, it causes gastroenteritis, upset stomach, diarrhea and fever. Onset is usually about 24 hours after you consume the contaminated products and produce that may have been prepared from contaminated soil.”

If symptoms persist or dehydration becomes prevalent, Harris said, that could be grounds for consulting your doctor.

“If you find yourself for multiple days with diarrhea, not able to keep food down, seek advice from your physician or go to the hospital,” Harris said.