According to the CDC, two people have died in a listeria outbreak that has spread to 12 states in the United States and is most likely linked to sliced deli meat.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 people have been sick and hospitalized with the disease as of Friday, following an outbreak that began in May.
Listeria infections were reported in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts.
The CDC reported two deaths in Illinois and New Jersey. The organization also reported that one pregnant woman became ill with listeria and stayed pregnant following her recovery.
People who became ill claimed to state and local officials that they had eaten “a variety of meats sliced at deli counters” in the month preceding their illness. Officials interviewed 18 persons, 16 of whom stated they ate meats cut at a deli and discovered that turkey, liverwurst, and ham were the most popular choices. According to the CDC, the sliced meats at the deli counters originated from a range of supermarket and grocery store delis.
The CDC stated that it is comparing items consumed by infected persons in this outbreak to foods consumed by people who became ill with listeria but were not part of an outbreak, and discovered that participants in this outbreak were “more likely to eat deli-sliced turkey and liverwurst.”
“This information suggests that meats sliced at the deli are a likely source of this outbreak,” the CDC said. “However, at this time CDC doesn’t have enough information to say which deli meats are the source of this outbreak.”
According to the CDC, no evidence that prepared deli meats are causing listeria infections.
The government stated that the true number of people affected in this outbreak is likely larger than the reported figure, and that the outbreak could be occurring in areas with no recorded infections.
That’s because some people recover from listeria without receiving medical care and thus are never tested for the infection, according to the CDC. Recent illnesses may not have been reported because it takes three to four weeks to identify whether someone with listeria is part of an epidemic.
According to the CDC, the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture is seeking to identify the source of the deli meats, which were then sliced at grocery store deli counters and purchased by persons who became ill as a result of the epidemic.
The CDC advises people who are pregnant, over the age of 65, or have a weakened immune system to contact their doctor if they experience any listeria symptoms, which can include fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures.