Two people have died in the United States and 28 are hospitalized across 12 states. Listeria infections associated with sliced deli meatFederal health officials said Friday.
People from the Midwest to the East Coast Listeria infection can make you sickAccording to the CDC, the bacteria can cause food poisoning and is of particular concern to pregnant women.
According to the agency, samples from the infected people were taken between May 28 and July 5. When interviewed, 16 of 18 people said they had eaten meat sliced at the deli counter. The most common were turkey, liverwurst, and ham sliced at the deli. The CDC is currently investigating what types of meat may have been contaminated. According to the CDC, there is no evidence that prepackaged deli meats caused people to become ill.
Let’s take a look at the states affected by the Listeria outbreak.
Listeria outbreaks:2 deaths, 28 hospitalized in 12 states due to deli meat-linked listeria infections
Listeria infection map
The deaths have occurred in Illinois and New Jersey, while New York state has the most cases of the virus of any state, with seven, according to the CDC.
Maryland reported six cases, Missouri, Virginia, Georgia and Massachusetts reported two cases each, and Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania and North Carolina reported one case each.
What is Listeria and what are the symptoms?
Listeria is a type of bacteria that can cause serious illness if it spreads from the intestine to other parts of the body.
Symptoms typically appear one to four weeks after eating contaminated food and include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, fever and muscle aches. Symptoms can appear 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 meats 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.
Contributed by Eduardo Cuevas & Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
Gabe Haouari is a national trend news reporter for USA Today. You can follow him on X. Gabe Haouari Or email me at [email protected].
