The deaths of two people in the United States have been linked to a listeria outbreak, as dozens more have reported being sick after eating deli meats.
One person in Illinois and one person in New Jersey have died after becoming infected with an outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes that has impacted people across multiple states in the US.
A total of 28 people across 12 states have reported to have been infected with the outbreak, with all 28 ending up hospitalized and two deaths occurred, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said as of July 19.
The ages of those infected range from 32 to 94, while 46 per cent of people sick are female and 54 per cent are male. One person who got sick during their pregnancy remained pregnant after recovering.
The highest number of cases has occurred in New York, with seven illnesses, followed by Maryland, with six. The other 10 states either have one or two cases.
After interviewing 18 sick people, 16 said they ate meats sliced at deli counters; however, the CDC says they are still investigating which deli meat, in particular, may be contaminated.
The most common deli meats were deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham, which were sliced at various supermarkets and grocery store delis.
The health authority added that they do not have any information showing that people are getting sick from prepackaged deli meats.
The CDC says that products sold at the deli, especially those sliced or prepared there, can be contaminated with listeria. They added that listeria can quickly spread among deli equipment, surfaces, hands, and food.
While there have been a total of 28 reported illnesses so far, the CDC said that the true number of sick people linked to the listeria outbreak is likely higher, with other states yet to report a case.
This is because some people who get sick because of the outbreak may not be tested and might recover without any medical care.
Additionally, it can take up to three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
While refrigeration cannot kill listeria, reheating to a high enough temperature before eating will kill any germs that may be on these meats, the CDC added.
The CDC is advising people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system to contact their healthcare provider if they have any listeria symptoms.
The health authorities are also advising people to take steps to protect themselves from contracting listeria from deli meats. For example, people should avoid eating meat sliced at the deli unless it has been heated to an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit or until steaming hot just before serving.
The CDC and the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are currently collecting data to identify the food source of the multistate outbreak.
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that is most likely to sicken people who are pregnant and their newborns, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems.
The CDC said symptoms usually appear within two weeks of eating foods contaminated with listeria and include fever, flu-like symptoms such as muscle ache and fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures.
Infections from listeria also have the potential to cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.
The health authority estimates that listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States.
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