Two deaths linked to listeria from meat sliced at deli counters

(AP) – At least two people have died, and more than two dozen were hospitalized in an outbreak of listeria food poisoning linked to meat sliced at grocery store deli counters, federal health officials said Friday.

At least 28 people in a dozen states have gotten sick, though 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 so far, all of the people known to be part of the outbreak have been hospitalized.

Many of the people in the outbreak reported eating meats that were sliced at grocery store deli counters. So far, there’s no information showing that people are getting sick from prepackaged deli meats, the CDC said.

People most commonly reported eating deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst and ham, officials said. CDC doesn’t have enough information to say which deli meats are the source of the outbreak.

Listeria infections typically cause fever, muscle aches and tiredness and may cause stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. Symptoms can occur quickly or to up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food. The infections are especially dangerous for people older than 65, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant people, who can have miscarriages. This outbreak includes people aged 32 to 94, with a median age of 75. One pregnant person got sick, but retained the pregnancy, officials said.

According to the CDC, people at higher risk should observe the following precautions:

• 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. Let it cool before you eat it.
• Clean your refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have touched sliced deli meats.
• Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms:
  • People who are not pregnant usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. They may also get a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.
  • Pregnant people usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. However, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.
• Provide information to help the CDC identify the specific deli products
  • If you are sick with Listeria , local or state health officials may contact you to find out what you ate in the month before you got sick. They may also ask for copies of receipts, your shopper card number, or leftover food for testing.
• Listeria can grow on foods kept in the refrigerator, but it is easily killed by heating food to a high enough temperature.

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