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A new outbreak of Listeria in deli meat prompts a national public health investigation. Public health agencies are scrambling to identify the source.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates around 1,600 people in the United States each year become sick with Listeria infections. About one in five of those people die. Nearly all cases of Listeria infections are caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria.
The CDC is currently investigating a Listeria outbreak that, based on patient interview data, is strongly associated with consuming deli meat. However, a source has yet to be discovered.
This is not the first outbreak of Listeria in deli meat and, it is unfortunately not likely to be the last. In fact, there have been several outbreaks linked to them in just the past five years.
This is probably no surprise, as deli meat has a significant risk for contamination with this bad bug. This correlation is what puts deli meat on the list of foods pregnant people and those with compromised immune system should avoid.
But why?
First, a bit about the current Listeria outbreak linked to deli meat.
So far, the CDC investigation has linked a cluster of 28 illness across 12 states with related Listeria infections in this outbreak. All 28 individuals had illnesses severe enough to require hospitalization. There have been 2 deaths so far.
Current Outbreak
28 Illnesses
28 Hospitalization
2 Deaths
12 States
There are likely more undocumented cases, as many people who are not seriously ill do not seek medical attention and therefore not tested for Listeria.
Additional cases may be in the process of being linked to the outbreak, however it can take several weeks for a sample to be linked to an outbreak cluster and included in the data.
Currently, the outbreak spans 12 states with the greatest concentration of cases in New York (7 cases) and Maryland (6 cases).
Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, and Virginia each have 2 reported cases. Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Washington each have 1 reported case.
There may be other states involved in this outbreak. The investigation is ongoing.
The CDC reports that many people in this Listeria outbreak indicated eating sliced deli meats they obtained from deli counters.
Deli meat is referred to in many different ways. But essentially, it refers to meats that have been sliced and prepared, as for a sandwich. They are commonly referred to as cold cuts, lunch meat, sandwich meat, or sliced meat. Deli meats refer to either whole cuts (large pieces of meat that have been cooked and sliced), sectioned or formed meats (restructured chunks or pieces of meat bonded to create a single piece), and even processed meats (often includes meat by-products).
Investigators are working toward collecting more information that will hopefully point to a specific source or supplier. Doing so will enable a recall that will reduce additional outbreak cases.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of deli meat, most Listeria in lunch meat outbreaks never result in a recall.
This current outbreak involving Listeria in deli meat is the fourth in just five years. Each outbreak had significant hospitalizations, all outbreaks reported at least one death, and no specific source could be identified in any of them. As a result, no recall was initiated.
A previous outbreak of Listeria in deli meat occurred in 2022. Between April 17, 2021 and September 29, 2022, a cluster of 16 illnesses were identified with related strains of Listeria. Of the 16 cases spanning 6 states (California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York), 13 required hospitalizations. One patient died.
Most outbreak patients reported eating deli meat or cheese obtained from deli counters.
Despite discovering the outbreak strain in open packages of mortadella, ham, and salami sliced at more than one deli, no single deli or food source could be identified as responsible for the cluster of illnesses.
The investigation concluded that a contaminated food likely introduced the outbreak strain into delis across multiple states.
Another outbreak of Listeria in deli meat occurred in 2020. Between August 6, 2020 and October 30, 2020, a cluster of 12 illnesses were identified with related strains of Listeria. All 12 people spanning four states (Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and New York) required hospitalization. One patient died.
Deli meats, including Italian-style meats like salami, mortadella, and prosciutto were identified as the likely source. Patients reported buying both prepackaged deli meats and those sliced at deli counters from various locations.
Like the previous outbreak, no specific deli meat or common supplier could be identified.
A 2019 Listeria outbreak was also linked to deli meats. This one took quite a long time to discover. Between November 13, 2016 and June 20, 2019, a cluster of 10 illnesses were identified with related strains of Listeria. All 10 people spanning five states (Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) required hospitalization. One patient died.
Traceback investigation data pointed to various meats and cheeses sliced at deli counters as the likely source of the outbreak. Patient interviews described different types and brands of deli meats and cheeses purchased from and fresh sliced at deli counters in different stores.
Despite patient interview data and the outbreak strain being discovered in samples obtained from multiple store deli counters, no single common supplier could be identified.
A 2010 risk assessment listed ready-to-eat foods, specifically deli meats, as the top source of human Listeria illness in the United States.
In fact, a recent review estimated that 2.9% of all deli meats contain some amount of Listeria monocytogenes – the most common strain associated with human illness.
Combined with the sheer amount of deli meat servings consumed by American’s each year and the high likelihood of Listeria bacterial growth over its long shelf life, deli meats have a high relative risk of human Listeria illness.
Studies show that not all deli meats incur the same risk. Deli meats sliced at grocery store deli counters are five times more likely to cause human Listeria illness than products sliced at manufacturing. In fact, deli counters are responsible for 83% more deli-meat associated Listeria illnesses than those obtained pre-sliced in manufacturer packages.
We often hear about the increased risk of Listeria contamination in deli meat and other deli items.
But why?
What is the reason for the increased risk? Studies have taken a look at this subject. And it is complicated.
The answer to this question is multi-faceted with several factors including:
Though, it mostly comes down to the increased risk of cross-contamination at a deli counter.
Instances of cross-contamination from one deli product to another is a significant risk factor.
For example. You step up to the deli counter and the attendant takes your order. Maybe they have gloves on already. Maybe they put fresh ones on.
Say you order roasted turkey, ham, and American cheese. Were fresh gloves donned between items? Was the slicer cleaned in between? How many surfaces were touched during that transaction.
Likely, at best the gloves were changed between deli meats and cheese and a separate slicer was used for the cheese. But more than likely, the same gloves were worn for the entire process. Including printing labels at the scale.
Next customer, please! And probably no glove change.
If any of those items are contaminated with Listeria bacteria, each subsequent item now has the potential for cross-contamination.
Retail delis make the perfect breeding ground for Listeria bacteria. There are so many nooks and crannies, and places for Listeria to grow and thrive.
From rarely cleaned surfaces like coils of deli display cases or the floor-to-wall junctures beneath sinks that accumulate food residue, there are many different places for the bacteria to lurk and multiply.
Deli meats have a relatively long shelf life. Between sitting open on and repeatedly touched behind the deli counter for a day or more, and long home storage times under refrigerated conditions, deli meat packages have plenty of time for small amounts of bacteria picked up by cross-contamination to grow to infectious numbers.
Refrigeration does not kill Listeria bacteria. The only way to kill these germs is to reheat the deli meat to a high enough temperature before eating it.
Even when deli counter environmental surfaces are regularly sanitized, Listeria bacteria may still survive. This tolerance to common food surface sanitizers is due, in part, to the bacteria’s ability to form a biofilm. A biofilm is a type of structure involving many organisms growing together to create a sometimes-slimy matrix. This biofilm often shields Listeria from sanitation attempts.
Anyone can become infected with Listeria bacteria if exposed. Though most people rarely become seriously ill. However, certain groups of people are at higher risk for Listeria infection if exposed and more severe illness if infected with the bacteria.
These people include:
Whether there is an active outbreak of Listeria in deli meats or just as a precaution, those in the higher risk groups should take certain precautions with deli meat.
Do not eat meat sliced at any deli counter.
If you must consume deli meat, heat it to an internal temperature of 165° F or until steaming hot. Allow it to cool before you eat it.
Do you have deli meat stored in your refrigerator? Is there potential contact with anyone in the higher risk group in your home? Could someone in the high-risk groups consume food from your home? If so, you will want to take a few precautionary steps.
Clean your refrigerator with a disinfectant sufficient to kill Listeria bacteria. Clean any containers or surfaces that may have come in contact with sliced deli meats, their packages, or their juices.
Listeria infections can be tricky to self-diagnose. The only way to truly know if you have listeriosis, the illness associated with Listeria bacterial infection, is to have a specialized laboratory test performed.
Why is listeriosis tricky to diagnose?
Common symptoms associated with listeriosis can be easily confused with other illnesses. There are two different forms of Listeria infections and symptoms range in severity.
Intestinal Listeria illness occurs when the bacteria infect the digestive system. Invasive Listeria illness occurs when the bacteria leave the digestive system and enter other areas of the body. Additionally, symptoms differ between those who are pregnant and those who are not pregnant.
Intestinal illness is the most common form of listeriosis. This type of Listeria infection is limited to the digestive system.
Symptoms often include vomiting and diarrhea that often begins within 24 hours of consuming contaminated food and lasts around 1 to 3 days.
Most people with this type of listeriosis recover on their own and don’t need antibiotic treatment Most people treat symptoms by keeping hydrated until the illness passes. Those in the higher risk groups may need medical treatment and antibiotics to recover.
Intestinal listeriosis may evolve to a more invasive illness.
Invasive illness occurs when Listeria bacteria move beyond the digestive system and into other parts of the body. In this case, listeriosis affects pregnant and non-pregnant people differently. Both groups experience symptoms about 2 weeks after exposure to contaminated food.
People who are not pregnant often experience more severe invasive Listeria symptoms. Headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions are common, in addition to fever and muscle aches. This type of illness can be serious and life-threatening. In fact, 1 in 20 non-pregnant people with invasive listeriosis will die from their illness!
Most people with invasive listeriosis require medical treatment and often need hospitalization.
Pregnant people often experience milder general symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. The greater risk, however, is associated with the pregnancy. Listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to still birth, premature delivery, miscarriage, or life-threatening infection in the newborn.
The American Pregnancy Association, among many different medical groups discourage consuming deli meat during pregnancy. This is due to the high-risk factors associated with Listeria in deli meat and the extreme consequences for becoming sick with a Listeria infection during pregnancy.
“The safest course of action to protect your baby is to avoid deli meats until after pregnancy.”
Listeria infections pose a serious and unique risk to those who are pregnant and their newborns. For this reason, deli meats are near the top of foods to avoid while pregnant.
As we have explained, Listeria illness can cause serious illness resulting in hospitalization, pregnancy complications, and death. In response to this significant threat, identifying Listeria outbreaks is a big priority. The faster these clusters of illnesses can be identified; the faster contaminated food can be removed from public circulation. This helps reduce additional illnesses.
Enter – the Listeria Initiative.
The Listeria Initiative is a surveillance program designed to monitor for clusters of Listeria bacterial illnesses.
Listeriosis is a nationally notifiable illness in the United States. This means that any Listeria infections identified must be reported to public health agencies at either the local, state, territorial, or federal level that monitor the disease and look for signals indicating a Listeria outbreak.
This national surveillance system is part of The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) that went into effect in 2005. Nearly all state health departments participate in this system.
When a patient seeks medical care with symptoms consistent with foodborne illness, laboratory screening tests are often performed to identify the pathogen causing the infection. This allows the healthcare provider to better treat the patient and provides epidemiological data that will be sent to the appropriate public health investigator.
The patient is interviewed and asked questions from the Listeria Initiative questionnaire that involves information about the foods they ate in the month prior to becoming sick and where they got them.
If a group of illnesses (or cluster) indicates a possible common source, this information is compared to foods eaten by listeriosis patients not involved in the possible outbreak.
The Listeria initiative also includes genetic testing (“fingerprinting”) of samples from clinical patients, food, and environmental isolates. This genetic fingerprinting allows investigators to identify closely related bacterial strains through database analysis.
If you or a loved one have become sick from eating deli meat or diagnosed with a Listeria infection, you may be experiencing a myriad of emotions with lots of questions running through your mind.
There are a few things you can do to help yourself and others through this outbreak.
Local, state, and national public health agencies are working to discover the source of this outbreak of Listeria in deli meat. Whether you are seriously ill or experiencing mild symptoms, investigators are calling anyone potentially involved to “provide information to help us identify the specific deli products” in the outbreak.
Make a list of the foods you have eaten in the month prior to becoming sick. Be as specific as possible, including where you got them and when you ate them.
Investigators may also request copies of receipts, shopper card numbers for stores that use them, or leftover food for testing. All this data may help pinpoint a specific food, location, or supplier as the source of contamination.
If you become seriously ill or are in a high-risk group, do not hesitate to seek medical attention. Listeria infections can be fatal and have serious consequences for those who are pregnant. Identification and monitoring symptoms could be the difference between recovery and severe outcomes.
Your body requires water. Intestinal illness with vomiting and diarrheal symptoms can deplete your body of important hydration. Drink plenty of fluids and monitor yourself for signs of dehydration.
Dry mouth and throat, dizziness upon standing, and producing very little urine are key dehydration symptoms. If you are unable to replace lost fluids by drinking them, you may need IV fluids from a healthcare provider.
If you are experiencing severe illness and your life is impacted by this outbreak of Listeria in deli meat, it is a good idea to get advice from a Listeria outbreak lawyer. A Listeria illness can mean weeks or even months of recovery time. This can have a significant impact on many areas of your life.
An experienced Listeria outbreak lawyer can go over the details of your case and help you navigate the legal system to recover the financial compensation you deserve. Lost wages, medical expenses, and other related financial hardships add up.
The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has recovered millions of dollars for families with cases just like yours. With a specialty in contamination, products liability, and food safety cases, you can trust the Listeria lawyers of The Lange Law Firm, PLLC to navigate this complicated legal process on your behalf.
They know the questions to ask, the information to obtain, and how to build your case. Their compassionate team will help you through this unfortunate situation and get you the justice you deserve.
Don’t wait! Contact The Lange Law Firm, PLLC today!
Call (833) 330-3663 or click here to fill out an online submission form to get started today with a free consultation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)
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