Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked to Sliced Deli Meats

July 22, 2024 – Two people have died from an outbreak of the bacteria listeria linked to deli-counter sliced meat, and dozens more have been sickened, prompting the CDC to urge people to take precautions with meat from deli counters at this time. 

One person who died was in Illinois, and the other person who died was in New Jersey. A total of 28 people have been sickened and hospitalized across 12 states. Officials have linked the outbreak to eating sliced meat sold at deli counters, but no recall has been issued while the investigation continues to determine specific affected products. 

There is no indication so far that people are getting sick from prepackaged meats, the CDC reported.

The other states where hospitalized people lived were Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The people got sick between May 29 and July 5, although additional recent cases may not yet be reported because it can take up to 2 weeks for symptoms to arise, as well as another couple of weeks for testing to determine whether a case is linked to an outbreak.

Officials cautioned that people may be at risk in additional states that have not yet been identified, also due to the fact that symptoms can take a while to appear and investigations are lengthy.

The actual number of people sickened is likely higher, the CDC said, because many people recover without seeking professional medical care. The people sickened so far ranged in age from 32 to 94.

Listeria can cause a mild intestinal illness, and most people do not become seriously sick. But in some people, the bacteria spread beyond the gut, causing a severe condition called invasive listeriosis. People ages 65 and older, pregnant people, and those with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. One of the people sickened in this latest outbreak was pregnant and hospitalized, but the mother recovered and remained pregnant, the CDC reported.

Symptoms among pregnant people include fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. Other people may experience those symptoms, too, plus headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.

Listeria can spread easily on deli counter equipment and surfaces, as well as via hands and other food. Refrigeration does not kill listeria, but reheating to a high enough temperature can do so. That’s why the CDC advises that those who are at high risk should take the precaution of reheating deli counter meat to steaming hot (internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit), and then let it cool before eating. 

So far, investigators have interviewed 18 of the sickened people, and 16 reported eating meat 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 reported, but noted that the agency didn’t yet have enough data to pinpoint whether those meats or others were the source of the outbreak.

SOURCES:

CDC: “Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats Sliced at Delis: Investigation Notice Posted July 19, 2024,” “Investigation Details,” “Listeria (Listeriosis) Questions and Answers.”

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