New York sees highest amount of Listeria cases amid Boar’s Head outbreak

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Twelve people in New York state and two people in New Jersey have contracted Listeria food poisoning amid an outbreak linked to Boar’s Head sliced deli meat, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC mapped the ongoing Listeria outbreak but says those numbers could be higher because some people recover without medical care or are not tested for the illness. New York made up the largest number of Listeria food poisoning cases while New Jersey had one death linked to the contamination. 

As of Wednesday, 34 people across 13 states have been diagnosed with Listeria, most of which were hospitalized, according to the CDC’s website. 

Boar’s Head issued a recall of its products on Friday after concerns that liverwurst produced at the Virginia factory may have been contaminated with Listeria, as reported by the USDA. The company also recalled more than 200,000 pounds of deli meat that was produced on the same line. Boar’s Head later expanded its recall notice to include 7 million pounds of products.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to immediately and voluntarily expand our recall to include all items produced at the Jarratt facility,” the deli provider said on its website. The USDA advises the public to beware of the following Listeria symptoms:

Listeria symptoms:

• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Convulsions preceded by gastrointestinal symptoms

Health experts warn that people who are pregnant and older adults with weak immune systems are at higher risk of more serious infections of Listeria. Officials from the Food Safety and Inspection Service say, anyone with Boar’s Head products in their fridge should throw them away immediately and clean surfaces to prevent cross contamination.