ATLANTA – An investigation notice was issued on April 17 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding a Listeria outbreak in four states that has killed one person and hospitalized eight others.
According to the notice, meats and cheeses sliced at deli counters might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and could make people sick. The bacteria have been reported in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. According to the CDC the person that died was in Michigan.
People who fell ill said in interviews that they ate different types and brands of products, including meats and cheeses purchased at deli counters in different retail locations. Samples taken from meat sliced at a deli and from deli counters in multiple stores were identified in the outbreak strain, the CDC said. Listeria specimens from sick people were collected from Nov. 13, 2016 to March 4, 2019. Two cases were reported earlier in 2019 with six other cases being reported between Nov. 2016 and Feb. 2018.
So far, a single, common supplier of the deli products has not been identified.
“CDC is not advising that consumers avoid eating products prepared at delis, or that retailers stop selling deli-sliced products,” the notice said. “Retailers should clean and sanitize deli slicers frequently and other areas where deli products are prepared, stored, or served to avoid cross contamination.”