2 dead in listeria outbreak likely linked to sliced ​​deli meats

Two people died in one listeria outbreak in 12 US states this is likely linked to sliced ​​deli meats, according to the CDC.

In total, 28 people have been infected and hospitalized with the disease as of Friday in an outbreak that began in May, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

O 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 fell ill with listeria and remained pregnant after recovering.

People who fell ill reported to state and local authorities that they ate “a variety of sliced ​​meats at fast-food restaurants” in the month before they became ill. Authorities interviewed 18 people, 16 of whom said they had eaten sliced ​​meats at a deli, and found that they most commonly ate turkey, liverwurst and ham. The sliced ​​meats at the deli counters came from a variety of supermarkets and grocery stores, according to the CDC.

The CDC said it is comparing the foods that infected people ate in this outbreak with the foods that people ate who got sick with listeria but were not part of an outbreak, and found that people in this outbreak were “more likely to eat sliced ​​turkey and liver sausage.”

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

There is no information to show that people are getting listeria from prepackaged deli meats, 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 may be occurring in other states without known illnesses.

This is because some people recover from listeria without any medical care and are therefore never tested for the disease, the CDC said, adding that recent illnesses may have gone unreported because it takes three to four weeks to determine whether someone 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 meats that were sliced ​​at grocery store counters and purchased by people who were sick in this outbreak, the CDC said.

The CDC recommends avoiding eating sliced ​​deli meats at a deli unless they are heated before eating and advises people who are pregnant, 65 or older, or have weakened immune systems to contact their doctor if they have any listeria symptomswhich may include fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures.

This article was originally published in NBCNews. with