Listeria outbreak linked to deli meats claims five more lives, CDC says

[August 29, 2024]  (Reuters) -The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday that a Listeria outbreak linked to deli meats has resulted in 14 new illnesses and five additional deaths.

This brings the total to 57 cases, all of which required hospitalization, with eight fatalities overall.

The outbreak is now the largest listeriosis incident since the 2011 cantaloupe-associated outbreak.

The five recent deaths occurred in Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, and South Carolina, according to the agency.

Listeria is a resilient bacterium that can survive on surfaces, such as meat slicers, and in foods, even at refrigerated temperatures.

While refrigeration doesn't kill Listeria, reheating foods to a sufficiently high temperature before consumption can eliminate the bacteria.

The CDC reports that epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data indicate that meats sliced at delis, including Boar's Head brand liverwurst, are contaminated with Listeria and causing illnesses.

Symptoms of listeriosis, which include fever, chills, and headache, can take up to ten weeks to manifest in some individuals.

An electron micrograph of a Listeria bacterium in tissue is seen in a 2002 image from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). REUTERS/Elizabeth White/CDC/Handout via Reuters

The health agency strongly advises against consuming recalled deli meats and urges consumers to check for any remaining recalled products, as they can have a long shelf-life.

Some of the products have sell by dates extending into October 2024, it added.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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