(CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning Friday about a deadly multistate listeria outbreak connected to deli meat.
Two people have died, the agency said in an investigation notice, and at least 28 have had to be hospitalized. However, the CDC says the true number of people who are sick is probably higher than what’s been reported because some may have had a milder form of the illness and not been tested for listeria. There’s also a lag time between when an illness happens and when scientists can connect it with an ongoing investigation.
Seven illnesses have been reported in New York; six in Maryland; two each in Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey and Virginia; and one each in Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The deaths were reported in Illinois and New Jersey.
Of the 18 people whom state and local public health experts were able to interview, 16 reported eating meats sliced at a deli in the month before they got sick. There are no reports of people getting sick after eating packaged deli meat.
It’s not exactly clear what meat is to blame for the listeria in this outbreak, the CDC says. The CDC and the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service are investigating, but no recalls have been issued.
Most people who were sick reported eating turkey or liverwurst, and some reported eating ham. The meat came from a variety of grocery store delis. Tests using DNA fingerprinting showed that the bacteria from sick people was genetically similar, suggesting that they probably caught the bacteria from the same food.
The timeline of this outbreak stretches over several months, the CDC said. The first person got sick at the end of May, and the most recent case reported being sick on July 5.
Listeria bacteria can cause listeriosis, the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States. Symptoms usually include fever, muscle aches and fatigue. Infection may also cause a headache, a stiff neck, confusion or seizures. Pregnant people may have pregnancy loss or premature birth.
Listeria can spread easily at delis, the CDC says, transferring from equipment to surfaces to hands and food. Refrigeration does not kill the bacteria, but heat can.
People who are pregnant, those who are 65 and older, and those with weakened immune systems are advised to avoid eating deli meat unless it’s been heated until it steams or reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
If you’ve had sliced deli meat at home, clean the refrigerator and any containers or surfaces that may have come into contact with it.
Anyone who develops symptoms of listeriosis should get medical care right away.
The CDC is also encouraging people who get sick with listeria to work with local public health officials, who may get in touch to find out what they ate in the past month and may ask for receipts or leftover food to help pinpoint the root of the outbreak.
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