There are now eight deaths in Boar's Head deli meat Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, according to the CDC, with at least 57 people sick in 18 states. That's an increase of five more deaths, 14 more cases, and five more states added since the last update was issued on August 8, 2024. All 57 patients have been hospitalized. The case count by state is: Arizona (1), Florida (3), Georgia (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Maryland (8), Massachusetts (3), Minnesota (1), Missouri (3), New Jersey (5), New Mexico (1), New York (17), North Carolina (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (2), Tennessee (1), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (1). The people who died lived in Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, and two lived in South Carolina. The patient age range is from … [Read more...]
Boar’s Head Deli Meats Listeria Recall Vastly Expanded
The Boar's Head deli meats Listeria monocytogenes recall has been vastly expanded to include an additional 7 million pounds of product. Whole genome sequencing showed that a liverwurst sample that was collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for the outbreak strain. At least 34 people in 13 states are sick with listeriosis in the outbreak linked to these products. Two people have died. And 33 of those patients have been hospitalized. The expansion includes 71 products that were produced between May 10, 2024 and July 29, 2024, under the Boar's Head and Old Country brand names. The products include meats that are sliced at retail delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold at the retail level. These products have sell by dates ranging from … [Read more...]
Deadly Listeria Outbreak Associated with Boar’s Head Meats
The deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak announced on July 19, 2024 by the CDC is associated with recalled Boar's Head meats. Testing found Listeria monocytogenes in an unopened package of Boar's Head liverwurst collected as part of the investigation. Testing is underway to see if it is the outbreak strain. The case count by state is: Georgia (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Maryland (6), Massachusetts (2), Minnesota (1), Missouri (2), New Jersey (2), New York (12), North Carolina (1), Pennsylvania (1), Virginia (2), and Wisconsin (1). That is an increase of six new patients, five new hospitalizations, and one more state since the last update. The patient age range is from 32 to 94 years. Patient samples were collected from May 29, 2024 to July 12, 2024. Of 33 people who gave … [Read more...]
Boar’s Head Liverwurst and Meats Recalled For Listeria
Boar's Head liverwurst and meats are being recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes connection in relation to a deadly Listeria outbreak that has sickened at least 34 people in 13 states. The recalling firm is Boar's Head Provisions of Jarratt, Virginia. All liverwurst produced by the establishment that is currently available for purchase is included in this recall. Additional deli meat products that were produced on the same line and on the same day are included in this recall. About 207,528 pounds of deli meats are recalled. The ready to eat liverwurst products were produced between June 11, 2024 and July 17, 2024, and have a 44 day shelf life. They include: 3.5 pound loaves in plastic casing, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head … [Read more...]
Who is Most Susceptible to Food Poisoning Complications?
Who is most susceptible to food poisoning complications? In many recall notices and all notice of outbreaks, we mention that people who belong to certain groups should be very careful about foods contaminated with pathogens. The FDA calls these groups "at risk." These groups are more susceptible for several reasons. In some, their immune systems may be compromised by age or disease. In others, an illness means their body is less able to fight infections. Of the estimated 48,000,000 food poisoning infections that occur every year in the United States, about 128,000 people are hospitalized and there are 3,000 deaths. People who are in these at risk groups are at greater risk for developing serious complications. Pregnant Women During pregnancy, the mother's immune system is … [Read more...]
What Happened to the Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked to Delis?
What happened to the deadly Listeria outbreak linked to deli meats and cheeses? This outbreak investigation is not on the FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table or on the USDA's Outbreak Table, and it has not been updated since November 9, 2022, more than three months ago. In this outbreak, at least 16 people in six states have been sickened. Thirteen of those patients were hospitalized, and one person who lived in Maryland died. In addition, one person got sick during a pregnancy, resulting in a fetal loss. Illness onset dates range from April 17, 2021 to September 29, 2022. The states where ill persons live include California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. Of 13 people who gave ethnicity information to public health officials, 11 are of Eastern … [Read more...]
Safer Food Choices For Those at Risk For Food Poisoning
Every month there is at least one food recall about a potentially dangerous food in the United States. These recalls are for foods that may be contaminated with E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, cyclospora, and Campylobacter. Unfortunately, some foods are inherently risky because of the way they are grown or prepared. While the general public certainly is at risk for illness from these foods, there are some people who can become seriously ill if they are infected. There are safer food choices for anyone who is at high risk for food poisoning complications. People at higher risk for serious complications from food poisoning include the very young, the elderly, pregnant women, people with chronic health problems such as diabetes, and anyone with a compromised immune system. … [Read more...]
What Are the Current Food Poisoning Outbreaks?
What are the current food poisoning outbreaks in the United States? At this time there are four active outbreaks that are being investigated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments. In total, these outbreaks have sickened at least 93 people and have hospitalized 33. The newest outbreak is the sapovirus outbreak linked to oysters that were harvested from a section of Galveston Bay in Texas. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, dozens of people who live in Texas and Florida are sickened in this outbreak. The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Enoki mushrooms that were imported from Korea is ongoing. That outbreak has sickened two people from Nevada and Michigan; both were hospitalized. That … [Read more...]
Most Deli Meat and Cheese Listeria Cases Are in New York State
In the latest outbreak, most of the deli meat and cheese Listeria cases are in New York, according to the FDA and CDC. Seven of the 16 cases live in that state. In fact, among seven patients from New York who were interviewed, five said they bought sliced deli meat or cheese from at least one location of NetCost Market. In 2021, the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes was found in several environmental and food samples during inspections at NetCost Markets in Brooklyn and Staten Island. Then, in September 2022, the outbreak strain was found in the same Brooklyn NetCost Market. That store is not linked to the most recent illnesses, however. That suggests that this may be an ongoing issue, especially since illness onset dates extend back to April 2021. But investigators do … [Read more...]
Can You Tell if Deli Meats Are Contaminated With Listeria?
Can you tell if deli meats are contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes or other pathogens? Some recent news articles claiming that you may be able to determine if the meats are safe to eat from appearance and smell had us examining this issue. Given the deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in 2020 that was linked to deli meats, and another in 2019, this information is important. A new study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, headed by Fernando Sampedro of the University of Minnesota found that deli meats are associated with 90% of listeriosis cases in the United Sates. Other potentially hazardous foods include soft and semi-soft cheeses, ready to eat seafood, and frozen vegetables. Listeria causes between 1,044 and 2,089 cases of illness in the United … [Read more...]
