More than a third of listeria cases are in NY; Boar's Head deli meat recall expands

Boar’s Head is recalling an additional 7 million pounds of meat and poultry products over possible listeria contamination after a Missouri couple's lawsuit said the Virginia-based company's deli meats made one of them "deathly ill," USA TODAY reported.

The recall includes 71 Boar’s Head and Old Country products made between May 10 and July 29, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The items range from beef, bologna, ham, liverwurst and salami, among others. More than 200,000 pounds of Boar's Head products were already included in a Friday recall, from packaged meat and poultry products to meat meant to be sliced at the deli.

“We want people to be aware of this recall of deli meat, and the potential risk of a listeria infection. If you have these products in your refrigerator at home discard of them immediately, or return them to the store where the food was purchased," Dr.  Sherlita Amler, Westchester County health commissioner, said in a news release on Wednesday. "Check the Health Department’s website for proper cleaning protocols to sanitize your refrigerator and prevent the contamination of other foods. If you have consumed these products and are exhibiting symptoms, contact your health care provider immediately.”

See the list of recalled products here .

One dead in NJ, 12 sick in NY after listeria poisoning

The outbreak has sickened 12 people in New York state, which has the most cases in the nation in the outbreak, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map.

More than a third of listeria illness cases have reportedly occurred in NY, but exactly where was not immediately known at the time of this story.

The outbreak, which the CDC said is linked to meats sliced at delis, has sickened 34 people in 13 states, with numerous hospitalizations, according to an ongoing CDC and U.S. Department of Agriculture investigation, USA TODAY reported.

Two people have died, in New Jersey and Illinois. The ages of those who are sick range from 32 to 94, with the median age being 75, according to CDC data.

The CDC and USDA know of 13 states with infections:

• New York: 12
• Maryland: 6
• Massachusetts: 2
• Missouri: 2
• New Jersey: 2
• Virginia: 2
• Georgia: 2
• Minnesota: 1
• Wisconsin: 1
• Illinois: 1
• Pennsylvania: 1
• North Carolina: 1
• Indiana: 1

What are the symptoms of listeria poisoning?

Listeria poisoning, known as listeriosis, is a bacterial infection most commonly caused by Listeria monocytogenes. It's a serious condition and can be dangerous or life-threatening, especially to older adults, people who are pregnant, or those with weak immune systems.

Illness can cause:

• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Convulsions
• Diarrhea
• Other gastrointestinal symptoms
• Miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery and/or life-threatening infection of newborn infants
• Death

The USDA said people at higher risk who have flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the food.

USA TODAY and Lohud's Michael P. McKinney contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: More than a third of listeria cases are in NY; Boar's Head deli meat recall expands