More illnesses and deaths in Listeria outbreak linked to deli meats is reminder to avoid recalled products

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.html

Key Points:

• Since the last update on August 8, 2024, 14 more illnesses have been reported bringing the total to 57. All 57 people have been hospitalized and 9 deaths have now been reported.
  • The 6 new deaths include one from Florida, one from Tennessee, one from New Mexico, one from New York and two from South Carolina.
• This is the largest listeriosis outbreak since the 2011 outbreak linked to cantaloupe.
• Everyone should check their homes for any remaining recalled Boar's Head products since they can have long a shelf-life. Look for "EST. 12612" or "P-12612" inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels. Some of the products have sell by dates into October 2024.
• Listeria is a hardy germ that can remain on surfaces, like meat slicers, and foods, even at refrigerated temperatures. It can also take up to 10 weeks for some people to have symptoms of listeriosis.

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.

If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state's health department.

Thank you,

CDC Media Support Branch

404-639-3286

Media@cdc.gov