CDC Reports Third Mass. Resident Ill from Listeria

A serious listeria outbreak tied to Boar’s Head liverwurst has expanded, with a third Massachusetts resident struck ill, the Centers for Disease Control reports, bringing the total affected across 13 states to 43. All have been hospitalized, and three people from New Jersey, Illinois, and Virginia have succumbed to the outbreak. The source of the contamination was traced by the CDC to random samples of tainted liverwurst found in previously unopened packages from delis in Baltimore and New York. Boar’s Head has issued recalls of other products and stopped production at a Virginia plant in response.

Listeria contamination, which is known for its high severity in pregnant people, the elderly, and those whose immune systems have been weakened for other reasons, causes severe health issues. The incubation period varies from the same day to up to 10 weeks after consumption. Signs include fever and muscle aches, often accompanied by nausea and diarrhea. The CDC advises that high-risk groups generally avoid deli meats except when they have been heated to at least 165 degrees and that all surfaces that have contacted any deli meats be scrubbed with soap.