A listeria outbreak from delicatessen meats supplier has spread to 13 US states and been linked to three deaths.
There have been 43 reported cases of listeria stemming from deli meats including products produced by the popular brand Boar’s Head, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday.
As of July 31, there were nine new cases and all involved hospitalization.
Illinois, New Jersey and most recently Virginia reported one death each.
Patients range in age from 32 to 94, with the median age at 77.
A map released by the CDC shows that the highest number of cases have occurred in New York, at 14. Maryland has the second-highest number with eight cases. New Jersey has four cases, followed by Massachusetts, Missouri and Virginia with three cases each. Georgia has two cases, and Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and North Carolina have one case each.
‘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,’ stated the CDC.
Boar’s Head recalled some of its products on July 26 and four days later expanded to cover all deli items in shelf life.
The company first recalled its Ready-to-Eat Liverwurst products made from July 11 to 17 and with sell by dates from July 25 to August 20, before announcing it would cover all of its deli meats.
In total, 7million pounds of deli meat are affected, and production has been paused at Boar’s Head’s facility in Jarratt, Virginia.
‘On behalf of all of us at Boar’s Head Brand, we want to let our customers and consumers know that we deeply regret that our liverwurst products were found to be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes,’ stated the company on its website.
‘No words can fully express our sympathies and the sincere and deep hurt we feel for the families that have suffered losses and others who endured illness.’
Customers are advised to discard the products or return them in stores.
Listeria is a ‘serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes’, according to the CDC. Those most prone to infection are pregnant women, newborn babies, adults over 65 years old and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms usually begin one to four weeks after consuming the contaminated food, but could start the same day or up to 70 days later.
Pregnant women infected with listeria get a fever, muscle aches and fatigue, but it can lead to a miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or a deadly infection to the newborn. Those who are not pregnant can experience symptoms including a stiff neck, headache, convulsions, bad balance and confusion.
Listeria can easily spread on deli equipment, food, hands and other surfaces. Refrigeration does not kill it but reheating food at a certain high temperature can kill the germs.
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