One more person dies from Boar’s Head deli meat sold nationwide as listeria outbreak spreads to 19 states

In New York, the tenth victim has died from contaminated meat products, in one of the largest outbreaks of food poisoning in decades.

A total of 59 people have been infected with listeria, which has been linked to Boar’s Head meats. The meats were produced in a dirty factory with many infection control problems.

All 59 people are hospitalized in 19 states. Other deaths have been reported in Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico and South Carolina

The outbreak is the largest since 2011 and has been linked to melon, with 57 people hospitalized and nearly 4,000 tons of meat recalled.

The map above shows the states where illnesses linked to the listeria outbreak in processed meats have been reported

The CDC continues to urge people to check labels before consuming Boar’s Head products, as some products have expiration dates extending to October 2024.

Recalled products have the codes EST. 12612 or P-12612 in the USDA inspection mark on the product labels.

The CDC advises people who purchased the affected products to throw them away or contact the store about returning them.

Customers are urged to clean their refrigerators, containers and surfaces that have come into contact with sliced ​​meats.

The health agency previously advised against eating processed meats unless they had been heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit — a temperature high enough to kill the bacteria.

Keeping meat cold does not eliminate listeria.

Earlier this month, a Boar’s Head meats plant in Virginia was found to have violated a long list of hygiene regulations. Inspectors found mold, insects and moisture dripping from the ceiling.

The company ceased operations at the plant in July.

Agriculture Department officials inspected the company’s largest plant in Virginia and found dozens of instances of “noncompliance” with federal regulations surrounding safe manufacturing practices over the past year, including several in recent weeks.

Listeria can persist on surfaces for weeks and end up in cutting tools and countertops that are not thoroughly cleaned regularly.

Listeria, which kills about one in five people infected, is especially dangerous for the elderly, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions.

These people have a weaker immune system, which may make them less able to fight an infection.

Symptoms may appear several days to 10 weeks after infection and initially begin with fever, chills, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.

Gunter “Garshon” Morgenstein, a father of three from Newport, Virginia, is pictured above with his wife, Peggy. He died after contracting a listeria infection after eating Boar’s Head deli meats

Sue Fleming, 88, and her husband Patrick, 76, are suing deli meat manufacturer Boar’s Head and the store where they bought the meat after Mrs Fleming became “seriously ill” with listeria.

As the infection progresses, patients may experience convulsions, loss of balance, and confusion.

The bacteria can be fatal if it spreads into the blood and causes sepsis (where organs begin to fail) or if it infects the nerves and brain lining and causes encephalitis (inflammation of the brain lining).

Infections can be treated with antibiotics. These are administered intravenously and can kill the bacteria.

According to the CDC, reports of illnesses linked to the recall are declining, but it could take up to 10 weeks for an infected person to show symptoms.

One of the victims of the outbreak was 88-year-old Günter “Garshon” Morgenstein, a father of three and Holocaust survivor.

Last month, a few days after eating a Boar’s Head sausage, he became fatigued and had difficulty breathing and was rushed to hospital.

According to doctors, he had been infected with listeria and had developed meningitis, a fatal brain inflammation.

Another woman and her husband, Sue Fleming, 88, and Patrick, 76, are suing Boar’s Head.

In June, Ms. Fleming ate a Boar’s Head liverwurst sausage after buying it at her local grocery store. The Missourian reported that she became “sick to death.”

But in the days that followed, she suffered from nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramps, followed by shaking and pain throughout her body.

She was rushed to the hospital, where tests confirmed a listeria infection, the lawsuit says. She spent nine days in intensive care and 11 in rehabilitation, but claims she continues to suffer from neurological symptoms and has not fully recovered.

The couple is now suing Boar’s Head, seeking more than $25,000 in damages for medical and legal expenses, and for harm to their “enjoyment of life” and their marital relationship.