NBC News
A third person has died and more than 40 have been hospitalized in a multi-state listeria outbreak stemming from deli meats, according to new figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC reported in a statement Thursday the third death from the outbreak that began in May. The deaths have occurred in Illinois, New Jersey and Virginia.
Since the last update on July 31, health officials have recorded nine additional cases, bringing the total number of listeriosis patients to 43 in 13 states. The agency warned that the actual number of people affected could be higher, as all of the patients who were documented were hospitalized. Some people may recover without medical care.
The sick patients were between 32 and 94 years old, with an average age of 77.
“Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that sliced meats from the deli and cold cuts areas, including Boar’s Head brand liverwurst, are contaminated with Listeria and are making people sick,” the CDC said in a statement Thursday.
Boar’s Head had already issued a recall of more than seven million pounds of products deli and poultry produced at its plant in Jarratt, Virginia, due to concerns that they might contain the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.
An investigation into the outbreak is ongoing.
The CDC said the Maryland Department of Health and the Baltimore City Health Department recalled an unopened Boar’s Head liverwurst product from a retail store and identified the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Additionally, a New York State food laboratory identified the bacteria in a previously collected sample of unopened Boar’s Head liverwurst products from retail stores. Officials determined that both are the same strain that sickened people during this outbreak.
Most patients interviewed by state and local public health officials reported eating a variety of cut meats in the month before they became ill.
Of 33 patients asked if they ate liverwurst, 55% said they ate it sliced before becoming ill and 13 reported eating the Boar’s Head brand.
Listeria infection is a foodborne bacterial illness most commonly caused by eating improperly processed deli meats and unpasteurized dairy products, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is the third leading cause of food poisoning deaths in the United States.
Symptoms usually appear within two weeks after eating contaminated food and include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, stiff neck and confusion. In severe cases, the bacteria can cause a blood infection or meningitis. The infection is dangerous for older people, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant women. The CDC recommends that those in these categories avoid cuts of cold cuts.
The CDC estimates that about 1,600 people get listeriosis each year and about 260 die.
The Boar’s Head product recall, which includes more than 70 varieties of its products, took place in stores nationwide and in the Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama.
People who bought the recalled products should throw them away or return them to the store, and also clean out their refrigerators, as bacteria can grow in cold temperatures and spread to other foods.
