Listeria Outbreak Linked To Deli Meats Sickens New Yorkers: CDC

NEW YORK – A listeria outbreak linked to sliced meats and cheeses has killed one and sickened people in four states, including New York.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eight people have been infected in Michigan, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The CDC said all eight people have been hospitalized with one patient dying in Michigan.

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.

There were two cases reported in New York. It is unknown where in the state they occurred.

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.

Here is what else you should know about the outbreak:

• Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates that the meats and cheeses sliced at deli counters that might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes could make people sick.
• In interviews, ill people report eating different types and brands of products purchased from and sliced at deli counters in many different retail locations.
• Retailers should clean and sanitize deli slicers and other areas where deli products are prepared, stored or served to avoid cross contamination.

Advice to consumers and retailers:

• If you develop symptoms of a Listeria infection after eating deli-sliced products, contact a healthcare provider and tell them you ate deli-sliced products. This is especially important if you are pregnant, age 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system.
• If you have eaten deli-sliced products and do not have any symptoms of a Listeria infection, most experts believe that tests or treatment are not needed, even for people who have a higher chance of Listeria infection.
• Listeria bacteria can survive at very low temperatures and can spread easily to other foods and surfaces. Consumers should clean refrigerators, kitchen countertops, utensils, and other surfaces that touch deli-sliced products.
• You can take steps to prevent Listeria infection:
  • Don’t let juice from lunch meat and hot dog packages get on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces.
  • Wash hands after handling deli meats, lunch meats, deli cheeses, and hot dogs.
  • Store opened packages of meat sliced at a local deli no longer than 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
• Regularly clean food contact surfaces, equipment, and utensils in direct contact with deli products, such as cutting boards, tables, cheese slicers, and knives.
  • Make sure food contact surfaces, such as cutting boards, are smooth, sealed, non-porous, and easily cleanable.
  • The FDA website has printable materials and more information about sanitizing commercial deli slicers.

The CDC will update the advice to consumers and retailers if more information comes available, such as a supplier or type of deli product linked to illness.

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.