Listeria outbreak linked to deli meat leaves 2 dead, 28 hospitalized in 12 states: See map

Two people in the United States have died, and 28 people have been hospitalized across 12 states from a listeria outbreak linked to sliced deli meat , federal health officials said Friday.

People from the Midwest to the East Coast have reportedly become ill from listeria , a bacteria that causes potentially foodborne illness and is especially concerning for anyone pregnant, the CDC said.

The agency said the sick people's samples were collected between May 28 and July 5. During interviews, 16 of 18 said they ate meat sliced at a deli counter, most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham. 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, the CDC said.

Here's a look at which states are affected by the listeria outbreak.

Listeria outbreak: 2 dead, 28 hospitalized from listeria outbreak linked to deli meat in 12 states

Listeria outbreak map

The deaths occurred in Illinois and New Jersey, the CDC said, and New York had seven cases, the most of any state.

Maryland had six cases, while Missouri, Virginia, Georgia, and Massachusetts each had two cases. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina each had one case reported.

What is listeria? What are the symptoms?

Listeria is a genus of bacteria that causes severe illness when it spreads from the gut to other parts of the body.

Symptoms, which typically start a week to four weeks after eating contaminated food, include headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, fever, and muscle aches. Symptoms can also start as early as the same day or up to 70 days after.

Anyone who is at a higher risk of getting sick from listeria should avoid eating meats sliced at deli counters unless the meat is heated up to 165 degrees or is steaming hot, the CDC recommends.

Anyone who shows symptoms of listeria after recently eating sliced deli meat should contact a health provider.

Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas & Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Listeria outbreak linked to deli meat leaves 2 dead, 28 hospitalized in 12 states: See map