ATLANTA -- Inspectors began pulling contaminated hot dogs from stores in metro Atlanta Friday as part of a statewide recall.

Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin announced that Department of Agriculture food scientists found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of Zeigler Wieners.

The contamination was found in a 12-ounce package of Zeigler chicken and pork wieners marked CI USE BY Nov 26 08. The package also bears the plant number P-9156S inside the USDA mark of inspection. The wieners are manufactured by R.L. Zeigler Co. Inc., Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially serious disease.

The most common manifestation of listeriosis is meningitis, which has symptoms of high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections to infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems such as persons with chronic diseases or undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

"We have notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture of today's lab findings and we are warning the public about the contamination," said Irvin.

"Our inspectors will be checking store shelves to make sure wieners with these code numbers are removed from sale."