Eighth Person Dies in Listeria Outbreak Tied to Boar’s Head Deli Meats

Federal health officials on Wednesday confirmed an eighth person has died in a listeria outbreak tied to Boar’s Head deli meats that were recalled last month.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the outbreak, which has affected multiple states, continues to spread.
Among the victims are two people from South Carolina and one each from Florida, New Mexico and Tennessee. Previously reported fatalities include individuals from Illinois, New Jerse, and Virginia. According to the agency, in total, 57 people have been hospitalized due to listeria infections tied to this outbreak, which began in late May and has continued into August.
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The CDC’s investigation has identified Boar’s Head brand deli meats as the likely source of the outbreak. Listeria, a bacterium that can cause severe illness called listeriosis, particularly in older adults, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems, was detected in the affected products.
Newsweek reached out to the CDC via email on Wednesday for comment.
According to the CDC, listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States and is responsible for roughly 1,600 cases of food poisoning annually in the U.S., with around 260 fatalities. Symptoms of listeria infection can surface shortly after exposure or may take up to 10 weeks to appear, making it challenging to trace the source of contamination.
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Signs and symptoms vary depending on the person and the site of the infection. In most cases, the bacteria stay within the gut and cause the stereotypical symptoms of food poisoning, such as diarrhea and vomiting. Usually, these symptoms start within 24 hours of eating contaminated food and last for one to three days.
The affected products were traced back to Boar’s Head after a liverwurst sample collected by Maryland health officials tested positive for listeria. Further testing revealed that the strain matched the one responsible for the illnesses.
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Boar’s Head initially recalled liverwurst and other deli items with sell-by dates from late July to August. The recall was later expanded on July 29 to include all products from its plant in Jarratt, Virginia, which affected over 7 million pounds of deli meats, including items sliced at deli counters and some prepackaged sausages, frankfurters and bacon.
Boar’s Head has assured the public that all affected products have been removed from store shelves and are no longer available, according to its website. Consumers are advised to check their refrigerators for the recalled products, identifiable by the establishment number EST. 12612 or P-12612 within the USDA mark of inspection. If found, these products should be discarded, and any surfaces they touched should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
Health officials previously issued a public health warning last month amid the fatal outbreak as two people had died and 28 hospitalized across 12 different states at that time.