Seven people in New York have been infected with listeria bacteria linked to sliced meat in a deli, killing two and hospitalizing more than a dozen people in multiple states, health officials said Friday.
Twenty-eight people in 12 states have been reported infected with the strain, but the number of infected people and states may be higher. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The two who died lived in Illinois and New Jersey. new york According to the agency, it has the highest number of infected people.
About 90% of hospitalized infected people reported eating meats such as turkey, liverwurst, and ham sliced from the deli counter.
The meat was sliced in delis at several supermarkets and grocery store outlets, and so far no one appears to have gotten sick from eating prepackaged deli meat, according to the CDC.
The victims’ ages ranged from 32 to 94, with an average age of 75. More men than women were infected with Listeria, and more whites than other races.
The CDC and other investigators are working to identify the source of the infection.
Listeria is Serious infections It usually occurs after eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.
Symptoms of infection usually appear within 24 hours and include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, diarrhea and vomiting, but can also appear up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food.
Most people recover after three days and the illness is rarely severe, but of the 1,600 cases reported annually, about 260 people die each year. According to the CDC:.
Those at highest risk of serious infection include pregnant women who may have a miscarriage, newborns, adults over 65 years of age, and people with weakened immune systems.
The CDC did not immediately respond to a request for an update.
