CDC Investigates Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats, Cheeses at Delis
People at higher risk of severe illness from listeria, including pregnant people, should either avoid meats and cheese sold at delis or cook it thoroughly, the CDC says.
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A listeria outbreak linked to meats and cheeses sold at deli counters is being investigated by health officials, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday. The notice does not include any recalls.
Sixteen people from six states were sickened with an outbreak strain of listeria monocytogenes from April 2021 through September 2022, according to the CDC. One person who became ill died, and another person who got sick was pregnant and lost their pregnancy. Thirteen people were hospitalized.
Some people who eat food contaminated with listeria won't require medical care or aren't tested for listeria, which is why health officials say the number of people sickened in outbreaks like this are usually undercounts. However, pregnant people and their growing fetuses, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe illness when they eat contaminated food. People outside of this higher-risk group are unlikely to get severely ill, according to the CDC.
Investigators are still working to determine any specific foods or delis that might be contaminated with the outbreak strain, the CDC said, adding that more states could be included in the outbreak other than the ones with known illnesses (California, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland). Out of 12 people the CDC had information from, 11 reported eating meat or cheese from deli counters. Five of the seven people who were sick in New York reported eating meats or cheeses from delis at NetCost Market, a grocery chain that sells international foods. However, the CDC said that investigators don't believe that NetCost is the only source of the illness, since other people who got sick didn't shop at that specific grocery store.
NetCost Market didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Who's at higher risk for listeria?
The CDC cautioned people who are at higher risk of getting sick from listeria to avoid eating meats and cheeses from deli counters unless the food is cooked thoroughly at a "steaming hot" temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which will be high enough to kill harmful bacterium, including listeria monocytogenes. Pregnant people, in particular, are at high risk of listeria infections and may be 10 times more likely to be infected, according to the CDC. Common symptoms in pregnant people may be only mild or flu-like, but can result in pregnancy loss or infections that carry to newborns.
Symptoms of a listeria infection, or listeriosis, in people who aren't pregnant include intestinal symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting, which usually start within a day of eating a contaminated food and get better within one to three days. However, some people go on to develop invasive illness, which can cause symptoms including fever, muscle aches or flu-like symptoms, confusion, headaches, stiff neck, loss of balance or seizures.
Meats and cheeses at delis have been common sources for listeria in other outbreaks. This is partly because listeria spreads easily in the deli environment, including deli counters, slicers and the different hands that prepare foods for people to take home.