Sunday, 22 September 2024

ALERT: Listeria Outbreak Reportedly Has Killed Two, Hospitalized Nearly 30 Others

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A multi-state listeria outbreak linked to sliced deli meat has reportedly killed two individuals and hospitalized 28 others.

U.S. health officials are advising pregnant women, elderly, and those who have compromised immune systems to avoid eating sliced deli meat unless recooked in hot temperatures at home.

“A dozen states in the Midwest and East Coast reported people recently became ill from listeria, a bacteria that causes potentially foodborne illnesses and is especially concerning during pregnancy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release. The deaths occurred in Illinois and New Jersey. New York has had seven cases, the most of any state, CDC data showed,” USA TODAY reports.

“LISTERIA OUTBREAK: 28 people are sick, with 2 deaths, in 12 states. Do not eat meats you get sliced at any deli counter, unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot,” the CDC said Friday.

Per USA TODAY:

The sick people’s samples were collected between May 29 and July 5. In interviews, 16 of 18 sick people said they ate meats sliced at deli counters – most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham, the CDC said. The CDC is currently investigating which types of meat may be contaminated. There is no evidence that prepackaged deli meats made people sick with the disease, CDC said.

People at higher risk of getting sick from listeria should avoid eating meats sliced at deli counters unless they heat those meats to 165 degrees, or until they’re steaming hot, the CDC said.

Listeria can cause severe illness when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body. It’s particularly concerning for pregnant women because it can cause miscarriages. Other symptoms in pregnant people include fever, fatigue and muscle aches.

Anyone exposed to the disease can experience a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, as well as fever and muscle aches.

WATCH:

From the Associated Press:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn’t mandate a food recall as of early Saturday, because it remains unclear what specific products have been contaminated with the bacteria now blamed for two deaths and 28 hospitalizations across 12 states. This means the contaminated food may still be in circulation, and consumers should consider their personal risk level when consuming deli meats.

Federal health officials warned on Friday that the number of illnesses is likely an undercount, because people who recover at home aren’t likely to be tested. For the same reason, the outbreak may have spread wider than the states where listeria infections have been reported, mostly in the Midwest and along the U.S. eastern coast.

The largest number known to get sick — seven — were in New York, according to the CDC. The people who died were from Illinois and New Jersey.

Of the people investigators have been able to interview, “89% reported eating meats sliced at a deli, most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham. Meats were sliced at a variety of supermarket and grocery store delis,” the CDC said.

And samples collected from victims from May 29 to July 5 show the bacteria is closely related genetically.

“This information suggests that meats sliced at the deli are a likely source of this outbreak. However, at this time CDC doesn’t have enough information to say which deli meats are the source of this outbreak,” the agency said in a statement published on its website Friday.


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