A third person has died due to a listeria outbreak linked to deli meats.
On Thursday, the CDC announced that this outbreak, which began in May, has now caused deaths in Illinois, New Jersey, and Virginia. The outbreak has also led to nine new cases since July 31, bringing the total number of sick individuals to 43 across 13 states, including Pennsylvania. Those affected range in age from 32 to 94 years old.
In response, Boar’s Head has recalled over 7 million pounds of deli meats from their Jarratt, Virginia, plant that may be contaminated. These products were sold nationwide.
If you have these recalled products, do not eat them. Dispose of them or return them to the store. Clean and sanitize your refrigerator to avoid spreading contamination.
Listeria symptoms include fever, muscle aches, tiredness, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures. Symptoms can appear within two weeks of eating contaminated food, but may start the same day or even up to 10 weeks later, according to the CDC.