Two dead in listeria outbreak, probably linked to cold cuts

According to the CDC, two people have died in a listeria outbreak in 12 U.S. states that is likely linked to sliced ​​deli meat.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of Friday, a total of 28 people had been infected with the disease and hospitalized as a result of an outbreak that began in May.

Listeria infections have been reported in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.

The two deaths were reported in Illinois and New Jersey, according to the CDC. The agency also noted that a pregnant woman became ill with listeria and remained pregnant after recovering.

People who became ill reported to state and local authorities that they had eaten “various meats sliced ​​at the deli counter” in the month before they became ill. Authorities interviewed 18 people, 16 of whom reported eating meat sliced ​​at the deli counter. They found that they most commonly ate turkey, liverwurst and ham. The sliced ​​meat at the deli counter came from various delis in supermarkets and grocery stores, according to the CDC.

The CDC said it compared the foods eaten by infected people during that outbreak with foods eaten by people who became ill with listeria but were not part of an outbreak, and found that people in that outbreak “were more likely to eat turkey cold cuts and liver sausage from the deli section.”

“This information suggests that meat sliced ​​in the deli department is a likely source of this outbreak,” the CDC said. “However, at this time, CDC does not have enough information to say which deli meat is the source of this outbreak.”

There is no evidence that people become infected with listeria through packaged deli meat, the CDC said.

The agency noted that the actual number of people infected in this outbreak is likely higher than the reported number and that the outbreak could also occur in other states where no cases are known.

That’s because some people recover from listeria infection without medical care and are never tested for the disease, the CDC said. It added that recent illnesses may not be reported because it takes three to four weeks to determine whether a person with listeria is part of an outbreak.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is working to identify the supplier of the deli meat that was then sliced ​​at grocery store deli counters and purchased by people sickened in this outbreak, the CDC said.

The CDC recommends avoiding eating deli meats that have been sliced ​​at the deli counter unless they are heated before consumption. The CDC also advises pregnant women, people over 65, and people with weakened immune systems to see their doctor if they have symptoms of listeria infection. These symptoms may include fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures.