At least nine people have died after being infected with listeria from Boar’s Head deli meats linked to a massive recall last month, federal health officials said Wednesday.
The new food poisoning toll includes two deaths in South Carolina, one each in Florida, New Mexico, Tennessee and New York, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Three deaths had already been confirmed in people living in Illinois, New Jersey and Virginia.
At least 57 people have been sickened and hospitalized because of the outbreak. Illnesses were reported beginning in late May and continued through August, the agency said. This is the largest listeriosis outbreak in the United States since 2011, and Boar’s Head has recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meats.
Listeria infections are caused by a type of resistant bacteria that can survive and even thrive during refrigeration. According to the CDC, about 1,600 people get Listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die. Infections can be difficult to identify because symptoms can appear quickly, or up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food.
Infections are particularly dangerous for the elderly, pregnant women or those with weakened immune systems.
The problem was discovered when a sample of wild boar liver sausage taken by Maryland health officials tested positive for listeria. Further testing showed that the type of bacteria was the same strain that causes illness in humans.
Boar’s Head officials initially recalled liverwurst and other products intended to be sliced in delis with sell-by dates between July 25 and Aug. 30. On July 29, the recall expanded to include all foods produced at the company’s Jarratt, Virginia, plant. Affected products included those sliced in delis as well as some prepackaged sausages, frankfurters and bacon sold at retail.
All recalled deli meats have been removed from stores and are no longer available, Boar’s Head officials said on the company’s website. The products were distributed to stores across the country, as well as in the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said.
CDC officials urged consumers to check their refrigerators for recalled products. Look for EST. 12612 or P-12612 inside the USDA mark of inspection on product labels, some of which have expiration dates that extend into October. Throw away recalled foods and thoroughly clean and disinfect the refrigerator and other surfaces they touched.
Many illnesses caused by food poisoning are short-lived, but Listeria infections can be devastating.
In Virginia, Gunter “Garshon” Morgenstein of Newport News died July 18 from a brain infection caused by Listeria bacteria, an illness that has been linked to contaminated Boar’s Head products.
Morgenstein, 88, was a Holocaust survivor born in Germany. He moved to Canada and then the United States as a young man and later became a flamboyant hairdresser, according to his son, Garshon Morgenstein. During his 70-year career, his father styled the hair of celebrities such as singer Tom Jones and was known for his funny, outgoing personality, Garshon Morgenstein said.
Gunter Morgenstein loved liverwurst, usually spread on bagels, and bought it regularly, insisting on the Boar’s Head brand because he thought it was superior, his son said.
He fell ill in early July and was hospitalized on July 8. He became so ill that doctors said he had permanent brain damage and was unlikely to recover. His family members removed life support, his son said.
After Morgenstein’s death, a review of receipts showed he had purchased the recalled deli meat linked to the outbreak on June 30. The family hired a lawyer, Ron Simon, based in Houston.
“It’s a senseless accident and a tragedy for something that should never have happened,” his son said. “He still had many good years to live.”
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