Another person has died and two more have fallen ill from the listeria outbreak tied to Boar’s Head deli meat.
As of Sept. 23, 59 people across 19 states have become infected with the outbreak strain and have been hospitalized, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC said 10 deaths have been reported – one in Illinois, one in New Jersey, two in New York, one in Virginia, one in Florida, one in Tennessee, one in New Mexico, two in South Carolina.
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Federal officials said the number of sick people in the outbreak is “likely higher than the number reported,” and that the outbreak might not be limited to the states that have known illnesses.
The company’s now-shuttered Jarratt, Virginia, facility produced the meats that were sliced at deli counters, including Boar’s Head brand liverwurst, that caused the biggest listeria outbreak since 2011.
Earlier this month, the company announced it closed the location indefinitely “given the seriousness of the outbreak, and the fact that it originated at Jarratt.” The facility stopped production in July amid the investigation.
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The company also decided to discontinue its liverwurst product, which was made at the Jarratt plant, after discovering that the “root cause of the contamination was a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst.”
The company said it is implementing enhanced food safety and quality measures, including appointing a new chief food safety and quality assurance officer. It will also establish a “Boar’s Head Food Safety Council” that will be composed of independent industry-leading food safety experts.
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The CDC said it will continue to monitor for additional illnesses due to the possibility of cross-contamination in delis and how long it can take for symptoms to start.
The federal health agency is also asking people not to eat the recalled meats. Those most at risk of falling ill, such as people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system, should avoid eating deli meat or heat it before eating, the CDC says.
