Bacteria outbreak in 13 US states claims three lives

Forty-three people have been hospitalized, while three persons have reportedly died after consuming contaminated food produced by Boar’s Head, suppliers of deli meats, cheeses and condiments.

Boar’s Head has since expanded its batch of recalled products to include deli and pre-packaged deli products following the first reported case on July 19 of last month.

Listeria is said to be harmful to primarily pregnant women, the elderly and persons who are immunocompromised.

These high-risk groups should avoid eating meats from Boar’s Head from contracting listeriosis or heat them at 165°F or until steaming hot before eating, the CDC recommends.

Confirming the outbreak the CDC stated: “The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets' Division of Food Safety and Inspection collected unopened Boar's Head liverwurst products from retail stores and the New York State Food Laboratory identified Listeria monocytogenes. WGS determined it to be the same strain as the strain making people sick in this outbreak.”

About Listeria:

• Listeria can cause severe illness (known as invasive listeriosis) when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body.

• Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threating infection of the newborn.

• People who are not pregnant may experience headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches.

• Symptoms of severe illness usually start one to four weeks after eating contaminated food with Listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 70 days after.