If you’re an American who buys deli meat sliced at the counter, you should be careful the next time you go shopping. After multiple people were hospitalized with listeria in the past few months, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are investigating how sliced deli meat caused these outbreaks. Since listeria infections often pose dangerous, life-threatening consequences, the agency also wants to protect consumers from the disease.
Though the CDC isn’t currently issuing any recalls on particular kinds or brands of deli meat, the agency advises only purchasing pre-packaged meat and taking proper precautions if you’ve already bought sliced meat. If you want to stay safer when buying and eating these kinds of meat, you should know what meats are causing the outbreaks, where the outbreaks have been happening, and how to protect yourself from or get treated for listeriosis.
What Meats Have Caused Infections In What Places?
So far, 28 people in 12 U.S. states have been hospitalized for listeria infections. Of those states, New York has the most reported cases at 7; Maryland has 6; Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, and Virginia have 5 each; and Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have 1 each. One person in Illinois and one in New Jersey have died from the disease. The CDC estimates that the total number of reported cases could be even higher because some people could have contracted milder infections that didn’t require immediate medical attention.
After interviewing many of those hospitalized, public health investigators have learned that 16 of them fell ill after buying and eating sliced meats from supermarket and grocery store deli counters. While several said they ate sliced turkey, liverwurst, or ham before getting sick, the CDC states that it currently doesn’t have enough evidence to issue any recalls on particular deli meats. Since no one has contracted an infection from eating pre-packaged meat, the agency encourages shoppers to purchase those meats instead. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service is also working to identify the suppliers of the infected meat.
What Happens If You Eat Meat Contaminated With Listeria?
If you eat food that’s infected with listeria bacteria, you could contract the bacterial infection listeriosis. Though it can take up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms to appear, those symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, fevers, neck stiffness, muscle aches, headaches, convulsions, and loss of balance. According to the FDA, while some cases can be resolved without medical care, over 95% of infections lead to hospitalization.
Listeriosis can be much worse if you’re pregnant, over 65 years old, or have a compromised immune system. If you’re pregnant, the disease can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature births, or life-threatening illnesses in newborns; if you’re over 65 or have a weakened immune system, the infection can cause serious illnesses that can lead to hospitalization or death. According to the CDC, around 1,600 people contract and 260 people die from listeriosis every year.
What Should You Do If You’ve Bought or Eaten Infected Meat?
If you have any sliced deli meat in your refrigerator, the CDC encourages you not to eat it unless you take the proper precautions to ensure it’s safe. Before eating it, reheat the meat until its internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) or it’s steaming hot and then let it cool off. Even if the meat isn’t infected with listeria, warming it up to a high enough temperature can kill off bacteria that might have grown on it in the fridge.
If you’ve eaten sliced deli meat and experienced any symptoms described above, seek medical attention and let your doctor know that you were potentially exposed to the disease. While some people only experience mild symptoms and recover without medical care, most who contract listeriosis experience more severe symptoms and even life-threatening illnesses that require emergency treatment.
Final Thoughts
The CDC and the FDA are tracking a listeria outbreak after multiple people across several U.S. states fell ill after eating certain deli meats. So far, 28 people in 12 states have contracted the bacterial infection listeriosis; two of these people have died from the disease. While the CDC isn’t currently issuing any recalls on specific meats, they are encouraging shoppers to buy pre-packaged meats instead of sliced ones from the deli.
If you’ve already bought sliced deli meat, reheat it to 165 degrees F to kill off any bacteria, then let it cool down so you can safely eat it. If you’ve eaten listeria-infected meat, you should see a doctor because the bacterial infection listeriosis can cause potentially life-threatening illnesses. If you take proper precautions to prevent getting infected, you can help make sure you and others in your household can continue eating delicious deli meat safely.
Disclaimer: This article is intended simply to provide information. It does not replace the medical advice of a physician. Please speak with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
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