Two people have died Listeria outbreaks in 12 US states According to the CDC, it has been linked to sliced deli meats.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 28 people have been hospitalized as of Friday in the outbreak that began in May.
The Listeria infections have been reported Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.
According to the CDC, two deaths were reported in Illinois and New Jersey. The agency also noted that a pregnant woman contracted listeria and remained pregnant after recovering.
Those who became ill told state and local officials that they had eaten “a variety of meats cut from deli counters” in the month before they became ill. Officers interviewed 18 people, 16 of whom said they had eaten deli cuts, and found they typically ate turkey, liverwurst and ham. According to the CDC, meats cut from deli counters came from various supermarket and grocery story delis.
The CDC said it compared foods eaten by people affected by the outbreak to foods eaten by people infected with listeria but not part of the outbreak, and found that people in the outbreak “were more likely to eat deli-sliced turkey.” and liverwurst.”
“This information suggests that deli-cut meats may be the source of this outbreak,” the CDC said. “However, CDC does not have enough information at this time to say which deli meats are the source of this outbreak.”
The CDC says there are no reports of people getting listeria from prepackaged deli meats.
The agency noted that the actual number of people affected by the outbreak may be higher than the reported number and that the outbreak may occur in additional states with no known outbreaks.
Because some people recover from listeria without any medical attention, and therefore are not tested for the disease, recent illnesses may go unreported because it takes three to four weeks to determine whether a person infected with listeria is contagious, the CDC said. An explosion.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is working to identify the supplier of deli meats that were cut at grocery store deli counters and purchased by people who became ill in this outbreak, the CDC said.
The CDC recommends avoiding eating deli meats cut at the deli counter until they are reheated before eating and advises pregnant women, those 65 or older, or anyone with a weakened immune system to consult a doctor. Listeria symptomsThese include fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures.