Deadly Listeria Outbreak Hits 12 States, Including Minnesota

Public health officials are frantically trying to locate the source of a listeria outbreak that has killed two people and sickened more than two dozen people across multiple states, including Minnesota.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that 28 people have been hospitlozed after eating meats sliced at deli counters.

Two deaths, one in Illinois and one in New York, have been linked to the outbreak.

According to the CDC, the vast majority of patients interviewed said they ate meats sliced at deli counters – most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham. The CDC is currently investigating which types of meat may be contaminated.

There is no evidence that prepackaged deli meats made people sick.

State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the month before they got sick. People are reporting eating a variety of meats sliced at deli counters. Of the 18 people able to be interviewed, 16 (89%) reported eating meats sliced at a deli, most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham. Meats were sliced at a variety of supermarket and grocery store delis.

The CDC has yet to identify which deli meats are the source of this outbreak.

Minnesota is one of the 12 states where illnesses are being reported. There is one confirmed case in the state so far although officials caution that infections may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.

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Listeria is especially harmful to those who are pregnant, are aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system due to certain medical conditions or treatments.

Here are precautions you can take to lessen your chances of becoming sick:

• Do not eat meats you get sliced at any deli counter, unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot. Let it cool before you eat it.
• Listeria can grow on foods kept in the refrigerator, but it is easily killed by heating food to a high enough temperature.
• Clean your refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have touched sliced deli meats.

The most common symptoms of Listeria are fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.