KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said one person in Tennessee and eight people in other states died due to listeria-tainted deli meat.
The CDC said the meats, specifically Boar's Head-brand liverwurst, were processed at a Virginia facility and sold in grocery stores across the U.S. The ready-to-eat liverwurst was found to be contaminated with listeria bacteria in mid-July.
Boar's Head said it initially recalled the liverwurst product as well as several other products made on the same line on July 25. It later expanded the recall on July 29 to include all seven million pounds of items made in the Virginia facility, which included deli ham, sausage products, hot dogs, bacon, bologna and more. You can find the full list of recalled meats here.
So far, nine people have died and nearly 60 people have been hospitalized due to the listeria outbreak, the CDC said Wednesday. Seven of the deaths were reported in Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, Illinois, New Mexico and New York. Two more deaths were reported in South Carolina.
"We deeply regret the impact this recall has had on affected families. No words can fully express our sympathies and the sincere and deep hurt we feel for those who have suffered losses or endured illness," Boar's Head said.
The CDC said this is the largest listeriosis outbreak since the 2011 outbreak linked to tainted cantaloupe.
People who bought Boar's Head meat should check their products and throw out any that might be tainted. The CDC said people should look for "EST. 12612" or "P-12612" inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels and said some of the recalled products will have "sell by" dates into Oct. 2024.
According to the CDC, listeriosis is particularly dangerous to those who are pregnant, people with weakened immune systems and people 65 and up. The listeria germ can remain on surfaces even when refrigerated, and it can sometimes take up to 10 weeks for people to have symptoms of listeriosis after the bacteria invades other parts of the body beyond the gut.
The CDC said people infected with severe listeriosis can have symptoms including headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, muscle ache and fever. For pregnant people, it can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature deliveries and life-threatening infections for newborns.
