At least two people have died and more than two dozen have been hospitalized in an outbreak of listeria food poisoning linked to sliced meat at grocery store counters, federal health officials say. said Friday.
At least 28 people in a dozen states have become ill, although the largest number, seven, were in New York, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The people who died were from Illinois and New Jersey. Samples were collected from May 29 to July 5, and to date, all people known to be part of the outbreak have been hospitalized.
Many of the people in the outbreak reported eating sliced meats at supermarket counters. So far, there is no information that shows people are getting sick from prepackaged deli meats, the CDC said. People most commonly reported eating sliced turkey, liverwurst and ham, officials said. The CDC does not have enough information to say which cold cuts are the source of the outbreak.
Listeria infections often cause fever, muscle aches and tiredness and can cause a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures. Symptoms can occur quickly or up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food. Infections are especially dangerous for people over 65, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women, who can suffer miscarriages. This outbreak includes people ages 32 to 94, with a median age of 75. A pregnant person fell ill but maintained the pregnancy, authorities said.
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