People who are over 65, pregnant or have weakened immune systems should not eat meat or cheese from delis unless it’s reheated, due to risk of severe illness from listeria, the Rhode Island Department of Health warned Monday.
The Health Department issued the advisory as national health officials are investigating an outbreak of listeria linked to deli meat and cheese. As of Monday, a person from Maryland had died. Sixteen people were sickened and 13 hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A sickened pregnant woman lost her baby, the CDC said.
Rhode Island has not identified any cases, but Massachusetts and New York have, the Health Department said. The true number of illnesses is probably higher, the CDC said, because some illnesses might have gone unreported and it takes three to four weeks to determine if an illness is part of an outbreak.
People in high risk categories should not eat meat or cheese from deli counters unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees or until it’s steaming hot, the Health Department said.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Health officials estimate that some 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 die.
“Information collected so far shows that deli meat and cheese purchased at deli counters in multiple states are the likely sources of this outbreak,” the CDC said.
Investigators are trying to identify any specific products or delis that may be contaminated with the outbreak strain, the CDC said. The CDC said a contaminated food likely introduced the outbreak strain of listeria into delis in multiple states, but it’s difficult for investigators to identify a single food source, since listeria spreads easily in the deli environment and can live for a long time in deli display cases and on equipment.
“Listeriais a hardy germ that can be difficult to fully remove once it is in the deli. It can survive and grow at cold temperatures in the refrigerator,” the CDC said.
Listeria can cause severe illness, known as invasive listeriosis, when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body, according to the Health Department. Symptoms of severe illness usually start within two weeks of eating contaminated food but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after.
People with symptoms after eating meat or cheese from a deli should contact their health care provider immediately, the CDC said.
People who are not pregnant may experience headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches.
Pregnant people usually experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches, the CDC said, but listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.
