Listeriosis outbreak in Boar’s Head: Another death, 10 more hospitalized, CDC says

Another person has died and 10 others have been hospitalized following a listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats, federal health officials said.

As of Thursday, 43 people in 13 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of listeria linked to sliced ​​meats at delis, including Boar’s Head brand liverwurst, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the CDC, the actual number of people sick in this outbreak is likely higher than reported.

Three people have died since the outbreak began, including one in Illinois, one in New Jersey and one in Virginia, the CDC said.

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All 43 people for whom we have information have been hospitalized. Among them is a pregnant Minnesota woman who is suing Boar’s Head after she claims she “nearly lost her unborn child” after being infected with listeriosis after eating the company’s deli meats sold at a Publix supermarket in Florida.

Last week, Boar’s Head Provisions Co. expanded its initial July 26 recall to an additional 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that may be contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The initial recall affected all liverwurst products manufactured by the facility that are currently commercially available.

FOX Business has reached out to Boar’s Head for comment.

In a statement posted on its website, Boar’s Head said it learned from the USDA on July 29 that its “Strassburger brand liverwurst has been linked to the nationwide outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in deli meats.”

Deli at a Publix store in Athens, Georgia. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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“Based on this new information, we have taken steps to ensure we are doing everything possible to protect public health,” Boar’s Head added.

The CDC reported that epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data have revealed that sliced ​​meats at delis, including Boar’s Head brand liverwurst, are contaminated with listeria and are making people sick.

During the investigation, the Maryland Department of Health and the Baltimore City Department of Health recovered an unopened Boar’s Head Liver Sausage product from a retail store that tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

Boar’s Head meats are displayed at a Safeway store on July 31, 2024 in San Rafael, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The New York State Food Laboratory identified Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of unopened wild boar liver sausage products previously collected by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ Division of Food Safety and Inspection from retail stores. Both were the same strain as the blemish that sickened people during the outbreak,

By eating food contaminated with the bacteria, people can develop listeriosis, which can last from a few days to several weeks, depending on the severity.

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Mild symptoms Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In more severe cases, people may experience headache, neck stiffness, confusion, loss of balance and seizures, according to the FDA.

However, it can be fatal in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Infection can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women, health officials said.