A listeria outbreak linked to deli meat products has taken the lives of nine people, including one from New York, according to new information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC issued a reminder to the public on Wednesday, Aug. 28, to avoid and dispose of any recalled products still inside their homes.
Fifty-seven listeria-related illnesses have been recorded across 18 states in the U.S. since Thursday, Aug. 8, the CDC revealed. Six people have died due to the bacteria across Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, South Carolina and New York. Three deaths were previously confirmed in people who lived in Illinois, New Jersey and Virginia.
Boar’s Head Provisions Co. recalled 7 million pounds of deli and poultry products in July, after the Maryland Department of Health confirmed products tested positive for listeria monocytogenes, according to the U.S. Department of Food, Safety and Agriculture.
Since the recall, the Boar’s Head company and its products have faced the chopping block across delis and supermarkets throughout the country, prompting swift legal action from one Queens resident and safety measures action from grocery stores.
A class action lawsuit from Queens resident Rita Torres against Boar’s Head, shortly after the company’s recall of products, on Aug. 1, holds the company responsible for deceptive product marketing, as first reported in the Associated Press. Torres claims in her lawsuit that she would have never purchased the meats at a local Shop Rite if warned about the contamination.
Meanwhile, Stop and Shop, a supermarket chain with over 400 locations across New York, New Jersey and New England, reiterates to customers that the situation remains under control in light of the new CDC warning.
“There are currently no impacted products in our stores, and our delis continue to adhere to our high standards of sanitation,” a spokesperson for Stop and Shop shared. “We have spoken with our supplier and no additional recalls are planned.”
The supermarket chain also took immediate action to shut down and clean deli machines and counters when news of the contaminated Boar’s Head product recall was released.
According to the CDC, listeriosis can remain on surfaces like meat slicers, even at refrigerated temperatures. Some infected people may not experience symptoms of listeriosis, a food-borne bacterial illness, for up to ten weeks.
Boar’s Head released a list made available to the public of its recalled products and shared its regrets about the recall’s impact in an updated message.
A deeper look at U.S. Department of Agriculture inspections for the Boar’s Head Jarratt, Virginia, site, where contaminated products were initially discovered, found a total of 69 identified “noncompliance” issues — raising health concerns over mold and mildew around hand washing sinks, among other details reported on.
The CDC recommends anyone who may have had contaminated products in their home refrigerator, containers and surfaces to clean anything that may have touched sliced deli meats.
Health officials say it is also important to contact a healthcare provider if you experience symptoms of listeria, which can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, fever and muscle aches.
Anyone who is pregnant is also advised by the CDC to avoid infection, as complications due to the illness can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
Cases of severe illness usually start one to four weeks after eating contaminated food with listeria, but may start as early as the same day, or as late as 70 days after, the CDC confirms.
The disease prevention organization says this recent outbreak of listeriosis is the largest since 2011, when a similar outbreak occurred linked to cantaloupes.
