Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Listeria,Our Blog,Outbreaks & Recalls on July 19, 2024
The CDC has announced that Maryland Deli Meat Listeria Outbreak has sickened 6 people in Maryland this month. Here is everything we know:
Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc., a Jarratt, Va., establishment, is recalling all liverwurst products produced by the establishment. The ready-to-eat liverwurst products were produced between June 11, 2024, and July 17, 2024, and have a 44-day shelf life. The following liverwurst products are subject to recall [view labels]:
The other ready-to-eat deli meat products were produced on June 27, 2024. The following deli meat products are subject to recall:
According to ABC News:
“An outbreak has affected over two dozen people in at least 12 states. Two have died – one in Illinois and one in New Jersey. Most cases are in New York and Maryland.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said many people affected by the outbreak reported eating meats sliced at deli counters. Investigators were working to determine what specific product(s) are contaminated with listeria.
According to Patch.com:
“Two people are dead and many sickened from a listeria outbreak linked to deli meats, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
Health officials said there are two deaths and 28 reports of illness in 12 states, including Maryland, tied to the outbreak. The deaths were reported in New Jersey and Illinois. Illnesses have also been reported in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and beyond.
According to the CDC, many people sickened in the outbreak reported eating meats sliced at deli counters. “We do not have information to show that people are getting sick from prepackaged deli meats,” the CDC said in a statement.”
This is not the first time Maryland has been at the center of a Listeria outbreak linked to deli meat. In 2022, a person in Maryland died after eating deli meats linked to another Listeria outbreak. The bacteria was found at two NetCost Market locations in New York, but health officials said that’s not likely the only source of the listeria outbreak because some sick people didn’t shop at the store.
As of July 19, 2024, a total of 28 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from 12 states (see map). Sick people’s samples were collected from May 29, 2024, to July 5, 2024 (see timeline). Of 28 people with information available, all have been hospitalized. One person got sick during their pregnancy and remained pregnant after recovering. Two deaths have been reported, 1 in Illinois and 1 in New Jersey.
Listeria is especially harmful to people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems. CDC always recommends people at higher risk for listeriosis avoid eating meats sliced at the deli or heat them to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot before eating.
Many people in this outbreak are reporting eating meats that they had sliced at deli counters. Investigators are collecting information to determine the specific products that may be contaminated. Products sold at the deli, especially those sliced or prepared at the deli, can be contaminated with Listeria. Listeria spreads easily among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food. Refrigeration does not kill Listeria, but reheating to a high enough temperature before eating will kill any germs that may be on these meats.
About Listeria
Listeriosis, the infection caused by ingesting the foodborne bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, commonly referred to as Listeria. This infection primarily affects higher risk populations such as pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and those with a weakened immune system. While it is rare for those in other groups to become sick with Listeria infection, it does happen. Though they typically recover without medical intervention.
Listeria Symptoms
Symptoms associated with Listeria infection vary depending on the person infected and the part of the body affected. In general, symptoms involve typical fever and diarrheal symptoms similar to other foodborne germs, though this type of infection is rarely diagnosed. For those with invasive listeriosis, where the bacteria spreads beyond the gut is more complicated. For example, pregnant women, non-pregnant women, and those with a weakened immune system often have different sets of symptoms.
Pregnant Women
Listeria infection in women often includes little more than fever and other flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and fatigue. The larger danger is that Listeria can lead to miscarriage, still birth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn baby.
Non-Pregnant Women
More severe Listeria infections in non-pregnant women often includes headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions as well as fever and muscle aches.
Adults Over 65 and/or Weakened Immune Systems
Adults over the age of 65 and those with weakened immune systems may develop severe infections where the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria moves outside of the gut and into other parts of the body.
When it reaches the blood stream it can cause sepsis. In the brain it can cause meningitis or encephalitis. Listeria infections can also spread to other parts of the body including bones, joints, and areas of the chest and abdomen.
Listeriosis Diagnosis and Treatment
Listeriosis is generally diagnosed from a bacterial culture. The health care provider requests a bacterial culture panel based on symptoms the patient is presenting. Samples such as body tissue or body fluid such as blood, spinal fluid, or placenta are grown. If the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes grows on the culture plate, the sample is sent to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to be sequenced and added to the foodborne infection database.
Treatment of listeriosis often involves antibiotic treatment. Modes of treatment vary based on the severity of infection. Penicillin, ampicillin, and amoxicillin are often used in the treatment of listeriosis.
What to Do If You Are Affected
It can be a frustrating experience to be affected by food poisoning in a food product-based outbreak. There are a few steps you can take to help navigate yourself through the process.
Seek medical attention and indicate that your illness may be associated with an ongoing outbreak investigation. Your healthcare provider will likely order a test that will indicate if you are infected with the outbreak organism. This sample will be forwarded to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention if it turns out to be the organism of interest. Your healthcare provider will provide you with appropriate treatment options to get you the best options for getting better.
Make a list of the foods and places you have eaten over the past few weeks. Try to be as specific as possible while the details are fresh in your mind. If you have any leftover food items, save them if possible and/or the wrappers so that lot information can be recorded in the event you are interviewed by an investigator. This will assist in traceback investigation efforts. Your actions could mean faster identification of a source and fewer people falling ill from the same product.
Our mission is to help families who have been harmed by contaminated food or water. When corporations cause Listeria food poisoning outbreaks, we use the law to hold them accountable. The Lange Law Firm PLLC is one of the only law firms in the nation focused on representing families in food poisoning lawsuits. This is what we do.
If you were diagnosed with Listeria after eating deli meat in this Listeria Outbreak Linked to Deli Meat and want to make a legal claim for compensation, we can help. Our Listeria lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your Listeria food poisoning. Call us for a free no obligation legal consultation at (833) 330-3663 or send us an e-mail here.