Sixteen people in six states have come down with listeria that has been preliminarily linked to deli meats and cheeses.
the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. along with the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration are investigating.
Of the 14 people “with available information,” the CDC said, one person from Maryland died, one woman lost an unborn child and 13 were hospitalized.
The CDC said the sick people live in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, California and Massachusetts. New York has the most cases with seven.
But, the CDC said, the number of people who have gotten sick “is likely to be higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to states with known illnesses. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for listeria.”
It can also take up to four weeks to determine if someone who is sick is part of the outbreak.
“Laboratory and epidemiological data show that listeria-contaminated meat and cheese from deli counters are making people sick. Investigators are still working to identify any specific produce or deli items that may be contaminated with the outbreak strain.”
The people who became ill were interviewed, the CDC said. Of the 12 interviewed, the CDC said 11 reported eating sliced meat and cheese from a deli, including one in Brooklyn, which the CDC said they don’t think is the source because not everyone shopped there.
“A contaminated food item is likely to have introduced the outbreak strain of Listeria to delicatessen stores in multiple states,” the CDC said.
“Deli meats (deli meats, cold cuts, hot dogs, and pates sold at the deli) and cheeses are known sources of Listeria illness. This is because listeria can easily spread between foods on deli counters, deli slicers, surfaces, and hands. Listeria is a tough germ that can be difficult to completely eliminate once it’s in the deli. It can survive and grow at low temperatures in the refrigerator.”
People most at risk of getting listeria include people over the age of 65 and those with weakened immune systems.
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