2 people died Listeria outbreak in 12 US states According to the CDC, this is likely linked to sliced deli meat.
A total of 28 people have been infected and hospitalized as of Friday in the outbreak that began in May, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
of Listeria infections have been reported Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts.
The two deaths were reported in Illinois and New Jersey, according to the CDC, which also noted one pregnant woman who was infected with Listeria and continued to be pregnant after recovering.
People who became ill reported to state and local authorities that they had eaten “a variety of sliced meats from deli counters” in the month prior to becoming ill. Authorities interviewed 18 people, 16 of whom said they had eaten sliced meats from delis, and found that the most common meats were turkey, liverwurst, and ham. According to the CDC, the sliced meats sold at deli counters came from a variety of supermarket and grocery store delis.
The CDC said it compared foods eaten by people infected in the current outbreak with foods eaten by people infected with Listeria but not involved in the outbreak and found that people in the current outbreak were “more likely to eat sliced turkey or liverwurst from a deli.”
“This information suggests that sliced deli meat is the likely source of this infection,” the CDC said, “however, at this time CDC does not have enough information to say with certainty which deli meat is the source of this infection.”
The CDC said it has no knowledge of Listeria infection being transmitted from prepackaged deli meats.
The agency noted that the actual number of cases may be higher than reported and that the virus may be spreading in other states where no cases have been confirmed.
The CDC said people are not being tested for Listeria because some people recover from the infection without any treatment, adding that it takes three to four weeks to determine whether someone infected with Listeria is part of an outbreak, so recent cases may not be reported.
The CDC said the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is trying to identify the source of deli meats sliced and purchased at grocery store deli counters by people who have become sick in this outbreak.
The CDC recommends not eating sliced deli meats at the deli counter unless they are heated before eating, and advises pregnant women, people over 65, and people with weakened immune systems to consult a doctor if they have symptoms. Listeria symptomsThis can include fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures.
