Seven New Yorkers contracted listeria linked to sliced deli counter meat in a multistate outbreak that killed two and landed more than a dozen people in the hospital, health officials said Friday.
Twenty-eight people in 12 states reported being infected with the bacteria strain, though the number of cases and states is likely higher, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The two people who died were in Illinois and New Jersey. New York has the largest number of cases, the agency said.
Nearly 90% of the sick people, all of whom were hospitalized, reported eating meats like turkey, liverwurst and ham sliced at deli counters.
The meats were sliced at several supermarkets and grocery store delis. So far no one is believed to have gotten sick from prepackaged deli meats, the CDC said.
Victims ranged from 32 to 94 years old, with a median age of 75. More men than women contracted listeria as did more white people than other races.
The CDC and other investigators are trying to determine the source of the outbreak.
Listeria is a serious infection typically caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.
Infections typically cause fever, muscle aches, headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, diarrhea and vomiting within 24 hours, though symptoms can occur up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food.
Most people recover after three days and rarely become seriously ill, but of the 1,600 annual cases, about 260 people die each year, according to the CDC.
People who are most at risk of serious infection include those who are pregnant, who can have miscarriages; newborns; adults aged 65 and older; and people with weakened immune systems.
The CDC didn’t immediately respond to a request for updated information.
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