Two people in the U.S. have died and 28 people have been hospitalized from a multi-state outbreak of listeria linked to sliced deli meat, federal health officials announced on Friday.
A dozen states in the Midwest and East Coast reported people recently became ill from listeria, a bacteria that causes potentially foodborne illnesses and is especially concerning during pregnancy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a news release.
According to the CDC data, New York is the state with the most cases at seven, followed by Maryland with six. States that have also reported cases include Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. The deaths occurred in Illinois and New Jersey.
“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC wrote in its update on Friday. “This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.”
The CDC said it and its partners, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), are collecting data to determine the source of the outbreak. Many of the patients in this outbreak reported eating meats sliced at deli counters before falling ill.
The sick people’s samples were collected between May 29 and July 5. In interviews, 16 of 18 sick people said they ate meats sliced at deli counters – most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham, the CDC said. The CDC is currently investigating which types of meat may be contaminated. There is no evidence that prepackaged deli meats made people sick with the disease, CDC said.
There is currently no information indicating that people are getting sick from prepackaged deli meats.
People at higher risk of getting sick from listeria should avoid eating meats sliced at deli counters unless they heat those meats to 165 degrees, or until they’re steaming hot, the CDC said. “Of the 18 people able to be interviewed, 16 reported eating meats sliced at a deli, most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst and ham. Meats were sliced at a variety of supermarket and grocery store delis,” the CDC wrote.
When people eat food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, it can cause a serious infection known as listeriosis. This can progress to invasive listeriosis, when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body, according to the CDC.
Listeria can cause severe illness when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body. It’s particularly concerning for pregnant women because it can cause miscarriages. Other symptoms in pregnant people include fever, fatigue and muscle aches. Anyone exposed to the disease can experience a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, as well as fever and muscle aches.
Symptoms of severe illness usually begin one to four weeks after eating the contaminated food but can start as early as the same day or as late as 70 later, the CDC said.
The CDC recommends those at higher risk of listeriosis (are pregnant or elderly, or have compromised immune systems) to avoid eating meat sliced at deli counters unless heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or until steaming hot just before serving. The agency also recommends calling your health care provider if you have symptoms of listeriosis and recently ate meat sliced at a deli counter.
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