One person in New Jersey has died and at least nine have been sickened in the tri-state from a listeria outbreaking likely linked to sliced deli meats, according to a new warning from the Centers for Disease Control.
Another person died in Illinois and a total of 28 illnesses have been reported across 12 states, the CDC said.
"Many people in this outbreak are reporting eating meats that they had sliced at deli counters," according to the CDC. Through interviews with sick people, the CDC said 89% (16 out of 18) reported eating sliced meats from deli counters.
The CDC has not determined exactly what meats are affected or where they were sold, but said prepackaged meats are not involved.
The states impacted include: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. New York has had the most reported illnesses with seven reported so far.
The CDC said the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses and the truth number of people sick is likely higher than the number reported. Some people are able to recover without medical care and are not tested for the disease, according to the CDC.
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Listeria symptoms can usually start within two weeks after eating contaminated food, but can start the same day or as late as 10 weeks afterwards, reports the CDC. Pregnant people can suffer from fever, muscle aches and tiredness, while people who are not pregnant face the same symptoms but can also have a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or seizures.
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Listeria can spread among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food and is not killed by refrigeration, health officials said. Reheating the deli meats to an internal temperatures of 165 degrees or until steaming hot can kill the bacteria.
Shoppers are urged to clean your refrigerator if it may have touched any sliced deli meats and to call your doctor immediately if you have any of the above symptoms. If you test positive for listeria, health officials may ask what you ate, if you have any food leftover for testing, copies of receipts and your shopper card number or information.
The FDA warns, "The severity of listeriosis varies and in some cases can be fatal, especially among the elderly, people with weakened immune systems or chronic diseases. Listeriosis can be particularly dangerous for pregnant women and their newborn babies, leading to serious complications with their pregnancy, including miscarriage and stillbirth."
The first illness from the outbreak was reported May 29. The CDC said it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of the outbreak so there may be more connected illnesses that have not yet been reported.
The last listeria outbreak was in February and was linked to queso fresco and Cotija cheese sold across the U.S.
