CDC: Deli Meat Linked to Listeria Outbreak
The CDC has updated its notice about a multistate outbreak of Listeria infections linked to deli meats. For more details, visit CDC’s website.
Key Points:
- 34 people from 13 states have been infected with Listeria.
- 33 people have been hospitalized, and there have been 2 deaths (one in Illinois and one in New Jersey).
- Interviews revealed that 23 out of 24 infected people (89%) ate meats sliced at deli counters.
- 13 people ate deli-sliced liverwurst, with 7 reporting the Boar’s Head brand.
- An unopened Boar’s Head liverwurst tested positive for Listeria. Further tests are ongoing to see if it matches the strain found in sick people.
- Investigators are checking if other deli meats are also contaminated.
What You Should Do:
- Don’t eat recalled deli products. Throw them away or return them to the store.
- High-risk people should avoid deli-sliced meats unless heated to 165°F.
- Clean your fridge and any surfaces that may have touched deli meats.
- If you have Listeria symptoms and recently ate deli meats, call your doctor.
- Businesses should clean and sanitize areas that handled recalled meats and follow USDA guidelines to control Listeria.
About Listeria:
- Listeria can cause severe illness if it spreads beyond the gut.
- Pregnant people may only have mild symptoms but face serious risks like miscarriage or infection in newborns.
- Non-pregnant people may experience symptoms like headache, confusion, and convulsions, along with fever and muscle aches.
- Symptoms usually appear 1 to 4 weeks after eating contaminated food but can show up as early as the same day or as late as 70 days later.
If you need information about specific states, contact that state’s health department.
Thank you, CDC Media Support Branch (404) 639-3286 Media@cdc.gov
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
The CDC’s experts work to protect lives and the economy by providing timely information and quickly responding to outbreaks and illnesses. The CDC supports science and public health research across the country to keep everyone healthy.
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