CDC reports 5 more deaths, new cases in Boar's Head listeria outbreak since early August

Five more deaths and 14 new hospitalizations have been reported as a result of the Boar's Head multi-state listeria outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control said Wednesday.

Listeriosis infections from the recalled deli meat have caused at least 57 hospitalizations, including eight deaths, across 18 states since the CDC investigation began on July 19, according to health officials.

These numbers are up from an Aug. 8 report which counted 43 hospitalizations, including three deaths, across 13 states.

Of the five new deaths, one occurred in Florida, one in Tennessee, one in New Mexico, and two in South Carolina. Infections also appeared in five additional states since early August, including Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Boar's Head has recalled 71 products since July 26, equating to about 7.2 million pounds of deli meats. The brand is also facing legal action, with at least one class-action suit on the books as of early August. The family of one victim, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor from Virginia, previously spoke to USA TODAY about his death and plans to take legal action.

The human toll:His dad died from listeria tied to Boar’s Head meat. He needed to share his story.

What Boar's Head products are recalled?

Boar’s Head initially announced a recall for 207,528 pounds of liverwurst and other deli meats on July 26, followed by an expanded recall on July 30 to include over 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.

In a July 30 statement from the company, Boar’s Head said that it initiated the expanded recall of all products produced at its Jarratt, Virginia facility after it learned that its Strassburger Brand Liverwurst had been linked to the national listeria outbreak.

Boar’s Head Ready-to-Eat liverwurst products recalled

• Produced between June 11, 2024 and July 17, 2024, and have a 44-day shelf-life
• “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst made in Virginia”
• 3.5-pound loaves in plastic casing, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis
• Sell-by dates range from July 25, 2024, to August 30, 2024

Other Boar’s Head deli meat products

Boar’s Head also recalled all deli products, including prepackaged deli products. Look for “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.

Multi-state listeria outbreak kills five more since early August

Five additional deaths, 14 hospitalizations and five new states were added to the CDC's outbreak toll since the last wave of information on Aug. 8.

The ages of the sick people range between 32 and 94, with the median being 75, CDC data showed. The eight deaths occurred in Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico and South Carolina.

The CDC and USDA are currently aware of 18 states with infections as a result of the outbreak.

These states include:

• New York: 17
• Maryland: 8
• New Jersey: 5
• Virginia: 4
• Massachusetts: 3
• Florida: 3
• Missouri: 3
• Georgia: 2
• South Carolina: 2
• Minnesota: 1
• Wisconsin: 1
• Illinois: 1
• Pennsylvania: 2
• North Carolina: 1
• Indiana: 1
• Arizona: 1
• New Mexico: 1
• Tennessee: 1

Listeriosis or listeria poisoning symptoms

Listeriosis, or listeria poisoning, is a foodborne bacterial infection most commonly caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It is considered a serious condition and can be dangerous or life-threatening, especially to older adults, people with weak immune systems and pregnant people.

According to the USDA, symptoms include:

• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Convulsions
• Diarrhea
• Other gastrointestinal symptoms
• Miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery and/or life-threatening infection of newborn infants
• Death

People in higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food, said the USDA.

What to do to stay safe

The CDC advises people who are pregnant, 65 or older or have weakened immune systems to take extra precautions to avoid becoming ill.

At-risk individuals should do as follows:

• Do not eat recalled deli meats. Throw them away or contact stores about returns.
• In addition, do not eat any other deli meats you get sliced at deli counters, unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot. Let it cool before you eat it.
  • Listeria can grow on foods kept in the refrigerator, but it is easily killed by heating food to a high enough temperature.
• Clean your refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have touched sliced deli meats.
  • This is especially important if you purchased any of the recalled deli products.
• Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms:
  • People who are not pregnant usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. They may also get a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.
  • Pregnant people usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. However, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.