Pregnant Woman Sues After Buying Listeria-Tainted Deli Meat From FL Publix

COON RAPIDS, MN — A pregnant Minnesota woman has filed a lawsuit against Boar’s Head, claiming she nearly lost her unborn child when became ill after eating deli meat linked to a nationwide listeria outbreak, according to attorneys and a report.

Ashley Solberg was 36 weeks pregnant when she purchased and ate sliced ham and turkey from a Publix store in Hollywood, Florida, according to a news release from OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers. She was on vacation at the time, Fox 9 reported.

After returning to Minnesota, the lawsuit claims Solberg fell ill and was hospitalized for six days after doctors confirmed she contracted the same unique strain of listeria linked to millions of pounds of recalled Boar's Head deli meats.

Following her release from the hospital, reports said she continued an intensive antibiotic treatment to protect her unborn child.

"Listeria is especially dangerous to pregnant women, who... are 10 times more likely than other people to be infected with the bacteria," attorneys stated in a news release. "Because the mother can easily pass the infection to her unborn child, the infected fetus can also develop a range of health issues, including intellectual disability, paralysis, seizures, blindness, or impairments of the brain, heart, or kidney."

Solberg is seeking $75,000 in damages plus other court costs, according to the lawsuit.

On July 31, Boar's Head expanded a recall to include 7 million pounds of deli meat after the products were linked to a multi-state listeria outbreak. On Thursday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the outbreak has been linked to three deaths and 43 illnesses in 13 states.

• RELATED: Another Death, More Illnesses Reported In Deli Meat Listeria Outbreak

The recall included 71 products produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. Recalled items include meat intended for slicing at retail delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

The initial recall, issued July 26, included more than 207,000 pounds of meat and came just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that several people in multiple states had been sickened after eating meats sliced at deli counters.

Eating food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems. People outside these risk groups are less affected.

Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, and are sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Last month, a Missouri couple that regularly purchased Boar's Head liverwurst from their local Schnucks grocery store filed the first lawsuit against the company when the woman became "deathly ill" after eating the liverwurst in June.

A class-action lawsuitagainst the company was also filed this month in New York federal district court.