A new warning from the CDC stated that a total of 28 illnesses across 12 states have been reported. It further informed that one person in New Jersey has died from a listeria outbreak likely linked to sliced deli meats.
The states largely hit by the outbreak are Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
From May 29, 2024, to July 5, 2024, samples from 28 people, infected with Listeria were collected; all have been hospitalized. One woman was ill while expecting and carried the pregnancy without any serious loss. There have been two confirmed deaths: one in New Jersey and one in Illinois. At least nine people have been sickened in the tri-state area for eating sliced meats at deli counters, according to the CDC.
Sick people (16 out of 18), in an interview reportedly admitted eating sliced meat from deli counters, the CDC stated.
It is assumed that the outbreak might not be restricted to the states with ailments. According to the CDC, some people are able to recover without medical attention and without having the illness evaluated.
Usually, the symptoms of Listeria start within two weeks after eating contaminated food. At times, it can start the same day or, at the latest, 10 weeks later, according to the CDC. People face the symptoms of headaches, stiff necks, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures along with these symptoms. Pregnant women can have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness.
People are advised to call their doctor right away if they have any of the described symptoms and to clean their refrigerator if it may have come into contact with any sliced deli meats. Health officials may inquire about your diet, if you have any leftover food for testing, copies of your receipts, your shopper card number, or other information if you test positive for listeria.
This outbreak may not be limited to the states and the real numbers of sick people are supposedly higher than the number reported. The reason is that some people recover without medical care without tested for Listeria.
According to CDC it cannot be determined for sure as to which meats are affected but pre-packaged meats are not the reason for spread. Bacterium Listeria cannot be killed by refrigeration. It spreads through the deli surface, equipment, hands, and food. Reheating or steaming the deli meats to temperatures of 165 degrees or until steaming hot can kill the bacteria.
On May 29, news of the outbreak’s first illness was received. There may be additional related infections that are still unreported since, according to the CDC, it typically takes from three to four weeks to identify whether a sick person is a member of the outbreak.
The last known listeria epidemic occurred in February and was connected to Cotija and queso fresco cheese that was distributed nationwide.
Different types of information about sick people are collected by public health experts, such as the person’s age, race, ethnicity, and other demographics, as well as what they ate in the month prior to becoming ill. This data offers hints to assist investigators in determining the outbreak’s origin.
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that contaminates food items, and upon eating that food, people can get infected. The infection is called listeriosis.
Listeriosis is a serious infection. Each year, approximately 1,600 people get listeriosis, and about 260 die because of it.
It is estimated that in the US, listeria is the third-largest cause of death in foodborne illnesses. It usually causes mild intestinal illness, but when it spreads beyond the intestines, it is called an invasive infection.
In pregnant woman ‘Invasive Illness’ is usually mild. However, during pregnancy, it usually leads to miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, or a life-threatening infection in the new-born. Foetal loss during pregnancy results in about 20% and new-born death in about 3% of the cases.
Other than pregnant women, people with invasive illnesses most commonly have weakened immune systems. They are adults aged 65 years and older. They usually have infections of the bloodstream or brain (sepsis and meningitis, respectively) and sometimes infect other parts of the body. People with invasive illnesses (about 87% of cases) need to be hospitalized, and about 1 in 6 people die because of it.
| Demographics | Information |
| Age (n=27) |
Range from 32 to 94 years Median age of 75 |
| Sex (n=28) |
46% female 54% male |
| Race (n=22) |
72% White 23% African American/Black 5% Asian |
| Ethnicity (n=22) |
96% non-Hispanic 4% Hispanic |
Info Credits:
www.cdc.gov
www.nbcnewyork.com
www.usatoday.com
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