What you should do
For people who are generally healthy and not at higher risk of serious infection
- Do not eat recalled meats. Throw them away or contact stores about returns.
- Check your refrigerator for any recalled deli meats and throw them away or return them to the store. Listeria can grow on foods kept in the refrigerator.
- Clean your refrigerator, containers, and surfaces that may have touched recalled meats.
What people at higher risk should do
Listeria is especially harmful if you are pregnant, are aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system due to certain medical conditions or treatments. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.
If you are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system:
- Avoid eating deli meat or reheat it to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot to kill any germs. If you prefer, you can let it cool before eating it.
- Take steps to prevent getting sick from Listeria.
Learn which foods are more likely to have Listeria and choose safer food options.
What businesses should do
- Always follow USDA-FSIS best practices for controlling Listeria contamination in deli areas.
Symptoms of Listeria
- Listeria is especially harmful to women who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems. This is because Listeria is more likely to spread beyond their gut to other parts of their body, resulting in a severe condition known as invasive listeriosis.
- For women who are pregnant, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in newborns.
- For people who are 65 years or older or who have a weakened immune system, Listeria often results in hospitalization and sometimes death.
- For women who are pregnant, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in newborns.
- Symptoms usually start within 2 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after.
- Pregnant women: Fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. Your illness may be mild, but Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.
- Other people may have: Headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever, muscle aches, and tiredness.
- For more information about Listeria, see the About Listeria Infection page.