A food poisoning outbreak caused by listeria has killed a newborn, and 16 people have been affected since last year. According to US health officials, 13 of them have required hospital treatment.
The outbreak, which started in 2021, has affected people in multiple states, including New York, Maryland (where a newborn lost its life), New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, and California.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the reports of food poisoning started in April 2021, with the most recent incidence reported on September 29 of this year.
Victims connected their illness with the ingestion of meat or cheese from deli counters that investigators have identified as having traces of listeria. The culprit is open displays of deli meat or ready-to-eat foods. Two NetCost Market outlets in Brooklyn, New York were reported to be contaminated but other stores are still being checked since some of the afflicted got their meat from other markets.
The NetCost Market stores in Brooklyn, New York have a large Russian customer population, and 11 of the people who became ill were of Russian and/or Eastern European background. Investigators are seeking to learn if ethnicity has any relevance to the outbreak.
The Brooklyn-based NetCost supermarket temporarily closed the huge and popular deli counters at one of its stores last year after New York health officials notified the company that three customers infected with listeria purchased ready-to-eat food from there. The market did a cleaning of its Ocean Avenue store and a subsequent inspection found no listeria, but in September 2022, the outbreak strain was re-discovered at that market.
The CDC informed the public to be careful of cold cuts, lunch meats, hot dogs, pates, and cheeses since these products are the source of the outbreak. The bacteria may also spread through contact with equipment, surfaces and hands.
The outbreak has been detected in other areas and may be spreading. Officials warn pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly to be careful, as they are at higher risk.
If you have purchased meat or cheese, regardless of location, the CDC recommends a thorough cleaning of your refrigerator. They also recommended that you contact your healthcare provider immediately if severe symptoms are felt after eating meat or cheese.
Symptoms can occur within a month of infection but often take longer to manifest. One should watch out for diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, stiff neck, fever, and muscle pain, among others.