For those who may not know, there's an ongoing recall of Boar's Head products. Specifically, deli meat has been linked to a listeria outbreak (which I'll outline in a little bit). Unfortunately, according to the CDC, the death toll associated with the bacterial illness has only gone up. On August 8, the CDC relayed a total of 43 reported cases of listeria with three deaths.
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However, a new update brought that number up to 57 reported instances of the illness. Additionally, six more deaths have been confirmed -- marking nine deaths. The CDC's website contains more than a few handy pieces of information regarding the listeria outbreak.
"Listeria is a hardy germ that can remain on surfaces, like meat slicers, and foods, even at refrigerated temperatures. It can also take up to 10 weeks for some people to have symptoms of listeriosis. Do not eat recalled deli meats. Some of the products have sell by dates into October 2024," the website reports.
This has been the biggest listeria outbreak since 2011. According to New York's health department, 17 listeria cases in the state are currently being investigated. "All infected individuals that we currently have information on have been hospitalized," the Health Department said in a statement. "One fatality has been reported in New York. To protect the family's privacy, we cannot disclose further information."
The Boar's Head Listeria Outbreak Causes Six More Deaths
Listeria is not to be taken lightly under any circumstances. I've posted the following set of bullet points in every piece I've written about the outbreak, and it's important to add it here, too.
- Listeria can cause severe illness (known as invasive listeriosis) when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body.
- Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or [life-threatening] infection of the newborn.
- People who are not pregnant may experience [headaches], stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches.
- Symptoms of severe illness usually start 1 to 4 weeks after eating contaminated food with Listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 70 days after.
If you start feeling any symptoms, seek medical help immediately. Please, stay safe.
