1 Illinois Resident Is Dead From Deli Meat Listeria Outbreak

We're no strangers to seeing food recall alerts. In any given year, you'll see food recalls due to things like salmonella, E. coli, listeria, foreign matter, metal shavings, plastic pieces, etc.

The thing that makes this deadly outbreak of listeria different is that at this point, authorities really don't know which exact deli products are responsible for the outbreak that began with reports in May and is continuing into late July.

One thing is certain, though. Those of us who love deli meats are going to have to think about whether or not to take a break from those meats until the source of the outbreak is determined, or roll the dice and just continue on eating the way we always have.

Keep in mind that listeria is not something you want to get to know up close and personally.

Some People Can Contract And Then Recover From Listeria Without Being Tested Or Seeking Healthcare

When you combine that with the fact that it can take up to a month to determine if someone's sickness is related to the outbreak, it's not surprising that the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) thinks that the number of infected people could be much higher than is being reported.

Listeria is most harmful to "high-risk" groups like pregnant women, people aged 65 and up, and those with compromised immune systems. If you fall into one of those categories, here's what the CDC recommends you do until the outbreak has ended:

• Do not eat meats you get sliced at any deli counter, unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot. Let it cool before you eat it. Listeria can grow on foods kept in the refrigerator, but it is easily killed by heating food to a high enough temperature.
• Clean your refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have touched sliced deli meats.

If you're a pregnant woman, the symptoms to watch for are fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. However, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.

Those who are not pregnant can experience symptoms including fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. They may also get a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.

The Listeria Outbreak Has Been Tied To 28 Hospitalizations And 2 Deaths In 12 States So Far

Here's where the outbreak has been confirmed, and how many have been sickened in each state:

• Minnesota – one person sick
• Wisconsin – one person sick
• Illinois – one person sick, one death
• Missouri – two people sick
• Georgia – two people sick
• North Carolina – two people sick
• Virginia – two people sick
• Pennsylvania – two people sick
• New York – seven people sick
• Massachusetts - two people sick
• Maryland – six people sick
• New Jersey – two people sick, one death