MONDAY, July 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- At least 28 people have been hospitalized and two have died in a multi-state outbreak of listeria linked to deli meat, U.S. health officials warned.
In an investigation notice posted Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the true number of illnesses is likely higher because there is often a lag time in reporting cases and some people may have had milder illness and not been tested for listeria.
So far, seven illnesses have been reported in New York; six in Maryland; two each in Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey and Virginia; and one each in Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The deaths were reported in Illinois and New Jersey. The first person got sick at the end of May, and the latest case was reported on July 5.
At this point, it isn't clear exactly what deli meat may be to blame for the outbreak, so no recalls have been issued, the CDC noted . But the agency stressed that high-risk groups, including pregnant women, those 65 and older and those with weakened immune systems, should avoid eating sliced deli meat unless it’s been heated until it steams or reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Of the 18 people whom public health experts have been able to interview during the outbreak, 16 reported eating meats sliced at a deli in the month before they got sick.
There are no reports of people getting sick after eating packaged deli meat, the CDC add.
