a Listeria infections associated with sliced deli meats Federal health officials said two people have died and 28 have been hospitalized in the Midwest and East Coast.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday that it has received reports of people becoming sick with a bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The samples were taken between May 29 and July 5.
Illinois has one death, its only case, and New York has one death, giving it the most cases in the nation with seven. CDC Data.
Listeria is of particular concern for pregnant women, people over 65, and people with compromised immune systems. Pregnant women can become infected with Listeria, which can cause miscarriage. Other people can also become infected with Listeria, but serious illness is rare, according to the CDC.
What states have reported Listeria cases?
- New York: 7
- Maryland: 6
- Missouri: 2
- Virginia: 2
- Georgia: 2
- Minnesota: 1
- Wisconsin: 1
- Illinois: 1
- Pennsylvania: 1
- North Carolina: 1
- Massachusetts: 2
What meat did they eat?
CDC officials said 16 of the 18 sick people had eaten meat sliced at the deli counter, mostly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham.
Health officials said they are investigating what types of meat may have been contaminated but have no evidence that prepackaged deli meats can give people listeria.
How old was the patient?
According to CDC data, the ages of those infected range from 32 to 94, with a median age of 75.
The majority of patients (72%) identified as Caucasian, 23% identified as Black or African American, and 5% identified as Asian.
What is Listeria?
Listeria is a type of bacteria that can cause serious illness if it spreads from the intestine to other parts of the body.
Symptoms usually begin one to four weeks after eating the contaminated food and include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, fever and muscle aches. Symptoms may begin as early as the same day or up to 70 days later.
The CDC recommends that people who are at high risk for illness from Listeria avoid eating sliced meat from the deli counter unless the meat has been cooked to 165 degrees or is steaming hot.
Anyone who develops symptoms of listeriosis after recently eating sliced deli meat should contact their health care provider.
Contributor: Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY
