More Cases and Additional Death Reported in Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats Sliced at Delis

A CDC Food Safety Alert update regarding a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections has been posted at https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/delimeats-7-24/index.html.

Key Points:

• Since the last update on July 31, 9 more cases have been reported bringing the total to 43. All 43 people have been hospitalized and three deaths have now been reported, one from Illinois, one from New Jersey, and, as of this update, one from Virginia.
• On July 30, Boar's Head expanded their July 26 recall to include all deli products, including prepackaged deli products, in shelf life from this establishment. Look for "EST. 12612" or "P-12612" inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.
• The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets' Division of Food Safety and Inspection collected unopened Boar's Head liverwurst products from retail stores and the New York State Food Laboratory identified Listeria monocytogenes. WGS determined it to be the same strain as the strain making people sick in this outbreak.

What You Should Do:

• Do not eat recalled deli products. Throw them away or contact stores about returns.
• People who are at higher risk for getting sick with Listeria, such as those who are pregnant, are aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system, should always avoid eating meats sliced at deli counters, unless heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot just before serving.
• Clean your refrigerator, containers, and surfaces that may have touched sliced deli meats.
• Call your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of Listeriaand recently ate meats sliced at deli counters.
• Businesses that received recalled meats should take extra precautions like cleaning and sanitizing and throwing away opened sliced meats and cheeses at delis. Businesses should also follow USDA-FSIS best practices for controlling Listeria contamination in deli areas.

About Listeria:

• Listeria can cause severe illness (known as invasive listeriosis) when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body.
• Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threating infection of the newborn.
• People who are not pregnant may experience headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches.
• Symptoms of severe illness usually start 1 to 4 weeks after eating contaminated food with Listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 70 days after.