1 Michigander Dead From Listeria Outbreak: CDC

MICHIGAN — One Michigander has died of listeria after an outbreak of the infection, which has been linked to sliced meats and cheeses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that seven other people, in Michigan, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, have been infected and hospitalized.

The USDA and the FDA are monitoring the outbreak. According to the CDC, the outbreak strain of listeria was identified in samples from meat sliced at a deli and from deli counters in multiple retail locations.

While the CDC said the evidence it has collected suggests meat and cheeses sliced at deli counters may be contaminated with listeria, a single common supplier of deli products has not been identified.

Ill people reported eating different types and brands of products in many different retail locations, the CDC said. The listeria specimens from ill people were collected between Nov.13, 2016 and March 4, 2019.

As of now, the agency is not advising consumers to avoid eating products prepared at delis or that retailers stop selling these products.

According to the CDC, the symptoms of listeria are:

• Pregnant women typically experience only fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
• People other than pregnant women: Symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches.

Read more about the outbreak via the CDC here.

Patch national staffer Feroze Dhanoa contributed to this report.