9 dead from contaminated Boar’s Head deli meat, CDC says

Six new deaths linked to a listeria outbreak have been reported, one each from Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, New York and two from South Carolina, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.
Overall, 57 people have been hospitalized and nine have died from what federal officials call the largest listeriosis outbreak since 2011. The CDC reported that, as of Aug. 8, the Boar’s Head deli meat outbreak had sickened people in 18 states.
An investigation into cases of Listeria linked to deli meat began in July when health officials found Boar’s Head brand liverwurst was making people sick.
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Boar’s Head has since recalled 71 products produced between May 10 and July 29 under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. The recall list includes hams, bologna, bacon, sausage, salami and frankfurters. Turkey has not been recalled.
The CDC is now recommending everyone check their homes for any remaining recalled Boar’s Head products since they can have a long shelf-life. Look for “EST. 12612″ or “P-12612″ inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels. Some of the products have “sell by” dates into October 2024.
It can take up to 10 weeks for some people to have symptoms of listeriosis, according to the CDC. Listeria can cause severe illness, known as invasive listeriosis, when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body. Symptoms of severe illness usually start one to four weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 70 days after.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, diarrhea, or other gastrointestinal symptoms. It is particularly dangerous for anyone pregnant. The infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
Older people or anyone with weakened immune systems also are at higher risk. Listeriosis typically is treated with antibiotics.
Health officials encourage consumers to check their fridges, discard any recalled products listed on the Boar’s Head website, or return them to the store where they purchased them for a full refund.
Anyone with contaminated meats should thoroughly clean and sanitize their refrigerators to prevent contamination of other foods. The CDC notes that Listeria is a hardy germ that can remain on surfaces, like meat slicers, and foods, even at refrigerated temperatures.
In July, a Publix spokesperson said the grocery chain had removed all products from the impacted Boar’s Head facility from every Publix location. The company did not break out which locations sold the potentially contaminated meats.
By CINDY KRISCHER GOODMAN South Florida Sun-Sentinel