NYC Deli Meat, Cheese Linked To Deadly Listeria Outbreak

NEW YORK CITY — At least one New York City deli has been linked to a multi-state listeria food poisoning outbreak that killed one person and sickened 16, health officials announced this week.

Seven New Yorkers have been sickened in the outbreak, including five who bought sliced deli meat or cheese from a NetCost Market location, according to the CDC.

A NetCost deli location in Brighton Beach previously was shut down in 2021 after officials found listeria in ham and mortadella, CDC officials said. The deli reopened after a deep cleaning, but tests in September this year show the same listeria strain.

The same listeria strain was also found in sliced salami bought from a NetCost Market deli in Staten Island during 2021, according to the CDC.

"Investigators do not believe that NetCost Market delis are the only source of illnesses because some sick people in the outbreak did not shop at a NetCost Market," a CDC investigative document states. A contaminated food likely introduced the outbreak strain of Listeria into delis in multiple states."

NetCost did not immediately respond to an email for comment from the Associated Press.

The wider listeria outbreak involves cases from New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey and California. One person in Maryland died and another case resulted in the loss of a pregnancy, CDC officials said.

The majority of people who fell ill — 11, to be precise — are of Eastern European background or speak Russian, according to the CDC.

Thirteen people have been hospitalized so far, CDC officials said.

"The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," a CDC document states.

Read more about the outbreak here.