A listeria outbreak linked to deli meat has two dead and hit New York, 11 other states
A number of government agencies are investigating why at least 28 people in 12 states have become sick with listeria after eating meats sliced at deli counters.
As of July 19, two of these people have died — one apiece in Illinois and New Jersey. Florida is currently not among the states named in the deli listeria report that was issued Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At this time there is no recall of any product tied to this listeria outbreak.
So far the CDC, along with public health and regulatory officials, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service haven’t been able to determine the food source of the multistate listeria outbreak. But the information gathered so far in the ongoing investigation does not indicate these people have gotten sick from eating prepackaged deli meats.
The investigation that led to Friday’s initial national report looked at the individuals between May 29 and July 5. Of the 28 people with information available, all were hospitalized. One person was pregnant when they got sick, according to the CDC.
The CDC believes there are more people that have been infected with listeria and that there could be cases in more states than the 12 so far because some people recover without seeking medical care and were not tested for listeria. Also, recent illnesses may not be reported because it can take three to four weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak.
A similar deli meats listeria outbreak happened in 2022.
How the investigation is conducted
Public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the month before they got sick. According to the report, people that were able to respond to officials — 18 as of Friday — said they ate a variety of meats sliced at deli counters. The most commonly consumed meats were deli-sliced turkey and liverwurst, followed by ham. These meats were sliced at a variety of supermarket and grocery store delis, according to the CDC.
But at this time the CDC doesn’t have enough information to say which deli meats and from where are the sources of this outbreak.
States in the outbreak
As of July 19, New York had the most reported links to this listeria outbreak from deli meats, with seven people infected. Maryland was next with six. Georgia, Missouri, Virginia, Massachusetts and New Jersey were next with two apiece.
North Carolina, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Pennsylvania reported one person apiece.
Listeria symptoms
The bacteria are most likely to sicken people who are pregnant and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC. Symptoms usually start within two weeks after eating food contaminated with listeria. Symptoms include fever and flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue, and these symptoms are usually mild. But listeria for pregnant people can cause miscarriage. The woman who had listeria in this investigation remained pregnant after the diagnosis, according to the CDC.
These same symptoms are also applicable in those who are not pregnant, and added symptoms include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures. These symptoms can be severe in some people and one in six may die from listeria contamination.
What you should do
CDC advises people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system to contact their healthcare provider if they have any listeria symptoms. The CDC suggests that people may want to consider avoiding meats sliced at the deli unless they are heated before eating. The recommended heating temperature is 165 degrees until it is steaming hot. This kills listeria on food that has been refrigerated.
