A multi-state listeria outbreak linked to contaminated deli meats has sickened at least 34 people and killed two, prompting a massive recall of the products.
Boar’s Head, a major supermarket, is removing 100 tonnes (207,000 pounds) of meat from its deli counters across the country.
An investigation found traces of the bacteria in samples of liver pate that were also processed alongside other types of meat, which could have led to cross-contamination.
Listeria infection, called listeriosis, can be fatal, especially for pregnant women, fetuses, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.
A sample of Boar’s Head liverwurst tested positive for listeria. The liverwurst was processed alongside other meats, such as turkey, leading to a massive recall of more than 200,000 pounds of meat.
Symptoms range from fever, chills and nausea to headaches, neck stiffness and seizures.
Of the 34 cases, all but one have required hospitalization. The CDC says the outbreak is likely much larger than its investigation has shown because some people will recover without medical care or testing for listeria.
USDA food safety regulators updated the case count early Friday in an announcement of the massive Boar’s Head recall, which will affect all major grocery chains in the U.S.
The outbreak has affected at least 13 states so far, according to the USDA, although the CDC only lists 12: Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said: ‘The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified that a sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for L. monocytogenes.
‘The Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak investigation of L. monocytogenes infections.’
CDC investigators began collecting samples from sick patients on May 28 and have been conducting interviews about the foods they ate in the month before they became ill.
Of the 18 people CDC officials were able to interview, 16 reported eating sliced meats from a deli, most commonly sliced turkey, liverwurst and ham.
Bacteria can spread from one surface to another, from deli meats to cutting tools to countertops, and health officials are urging people to disinfect all surfaces in their kitchen, as well as the inside of their refrigerators.
Every year, about 1,600 people contract listeriosis and about 260 die. The main route of infection is through the consumption of poorly processed cold cuts and the consumption of unpasteurized milk, which contains the bacteria.
Listeriosis cases have been detected in 12 states. Two people have died: one in New Jersey and one in Illinois. The CDC believes the outbreak is likely larger than authorities have recorded.
Healthy people are less likely to suffer serious, life-threatening illnesses than older people and pregnant women.
Pregnant women, who are 10 times more likely to get listeriosis than other adults, are especially susceptible to the disease because of changes in the immune system during pregnancy, which makes it easier for infections to take hold and harder for the body to fight them off.
When a pregnant woman becomes infected, the bacteria is transmitted to the fetus and can then cause widespread infection in the fetus, which can lead to premature birth, miscarriage, or stillbirth.
Symptoms may appear quickly or up to 10 weeks after exposure to bacteria in contaminated food.
If it spreads to the nervous system, listeria can also cause severe brain inflammation, blood poisoning, seizures and brain swelling. Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are key to avoiding the worst possible outcome.
This isn’t the only listeria-linked recall announced this year. Earlier this month, Ohio-based Wiers Farm Inc. had voluntarily said that some of its whole, packaged salad cucumbers sold at select Walmarts in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio may have been at risk.
The recalled items include green beans, bell peppers, zucchini, jalapenos and more, as the recall was expanded to also include green beans and jalapenos sold under the Freshire Farms banner, an Aldi brand.
In total, 27 products were affected, some of which were sold individually or wholesale at Walmart, Krogers and Save-a-Lots nationwide.
