Sept. 26, 2024 – A 10th person has died after being sickened with a strain of listeria bacteria linked to an outbreak at a Boar’s Head deli meat manufacturing plant.
The latest death occurred in New York. A new CDC update said that through the end of August, two more people had been seriously sickened, and infections had been confirmed in 59 people, all of whom had been hospitalized. The most recent cases were confirmed in late August, and officials continue to warn people to check their refrigerators for dozens of recalled products, some of which can have “sell by” dates that stretch into October.
The recall was issued in late July, although illnesses linked to the outbreak began as far back as May. Boar’s Head has since completely discontinued the sale of liverwurst, which is a type of sausage, and indefinitely closed its Jarratt, VA, location where the recalled products were made. The company described “the root cause of the contamination” as stemming from “a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered the facility to suspend production of ready-to-eat products at the end of July. The Jarratt location had been cited by the USDA for extensive sanitation problems more than once in the past year.
CDC officials believe the true number of people sickened in the outbreak is much higher, because the illness can take many weeks to become apparent and also because some people who get sick recover without seeking treatment or being diagnosed. Also, test results can take 3 to 4 weeks to be finalized.
The people sickened ranged in age from 32 to 95 years old, and included one pregnant person who survived and remained pregnant after recovering.
Symptoms of listeria infection include a fever, muscle aches, tiredness, a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures. Pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk of severe illness, when problems spread beyond the gut and infect the blood or lead to inflammation and fluid around the brain. During pregnancy, listeria poses an increased risk of complications like miscarriage, premature birth, or stillbirth, even if the mother has only a mild illness.
The bacteria can survive refrigeration and freezing. The best ways to prevent listeria infection are to scrub raw vegetables under running water, cook food thoroughly using a food thermometer, and to wash your hands with warm soapy water before and after handling food. It’s also important to wash items like utensils and cutting boards with warm, soapy water and to clean preparation surfaces.
