The foodborne illness listeria has sickened dozens of people in 18 states—with the elderly and pregnant people in the most danger.
Topline
A pair of listeria outbreaks in the U.S. in recent weeks have led stores and brands—including Boar’s Head, Wiers Farm and Freshire Farms—to recall products like deli meat in 23 states, as officials say five more people died in relation to one outbreak.Key Facts
A listeria outbreak in deli meats was first reported last month, and as of Wednesday, it has been linked to 57 cases across 18 states, with all of those cases resulting in hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Those cases include eight deaths: one in Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, Virginia, Illinois and New Jersey, and two in South Carolina, the CDC said Wednesday.
During the investigation into the outbreak, Boar’s Head recalled a number of deli meats and the United States Department of Agriculture said it was conducting testing to determine if those products were connected to the outbreak.
In early August, Boar’s Head recalled 7 million pounds of deli meats—significantly more than the initial 200,000-pound recall—and added 71 products made over the course of six weeks to its list, including pre-packaged meat and poultry products for the first time.
The Department of Agriculture also said in early August more than a dozen pre-packaged and bulk summer vegetables were being recalled due to possible listeria contamination, though no illnesses have been reported in association with that recall—the two do not appear to be related.
Listeria is a foodborne illness most often contracted by eating improperly processed deli meats (listeria spreads easily among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food, the CDC says) and unpasteurized milk products, and the hearty bacteria can survive refrigeration and even freezing.
Most healthy people rarely become ill from listeria infection, but it does disproportionately impact people older than 65, newborns and pregnant women, who may themselves experience only mild symptoms, but babies in utero can die from Listeria.
