NPR News

Deli meats and cheeses have been linked to a listeria outbreak in 6 states

By Ayana Archie

Published November 9, 2022 at 11:24 PM AKST

This 2002 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, responsible for the food borne illness listeriosis. On Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, U.S. health officials said at least one death and a pregnancy loss are tied to an outbreak of listeria food poisoning associated with sliced deli meats and cheeses.

Listeria has been traced to deli meats and cheese in six states, causing 16 infections and one death across six states, the CDC saidWednesday.

There were seven infections in New York, three in Maryland (one of whom died), one in New Jersey, two in Massachusetts, two in Illinois and one in California from April 2021 to September 2022.

Of those infected from New York, five reported buying deli meat at a NetCost Market location, a grocery store where the bacteria was previously identified in October 2021, though investigators believe there are other delis involved in the current outbreak.

The CDC, along with state public health officials, the federal Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture, are working to identify additional delis and specific products linked to the spread.

The ages of those who became sick ranged from 38 to 92, with a median age of 72. Of the 13 people who reported their ethnicities, 11 of them have Eastern European backgrounds or speak Russian. Thirteen of 14 people with available statuses were hospitalized and one person suffered a miscarriage as a result of the infection.

The number of people infected in the outbreak is likely much higher and more widespread, as some people might not have reported their illness, or may recover at home without being tested.