Six States Report 16 Victims of Listeria Linked to Deli Meat and Cheeses

As of November 9, 2022, CDC, public health and regulatory officials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), and the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes.

Sixteen people have been sickened in this multistate Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, with thirteen hospitalizations. The illnesses have been linked to Listeria tainted deli meat and cheeses in 6 states. One person got sick during their pregnancy, resulting in pregnancy loss. One death has been reported from Maryland.

Number of illnesses by state:

The first Listeria illness was reported on April 1, 2021 and the most recent case was reported on October 1, 2022.

Symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes usually begin one to four weeks after eating the contaminated food. However, those who become ill have reported symptoms as early as one to seventy days after consuming the tainted food.

State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the month before they got sick. Of the 12 people interviewed, 11 reported eating meat or cheese from deli counters.

Among seven sick people in New York, five bought sliced deli meat or cheese from at least one location of NetCost Market, a grocery store chain that sells international foods. Sick people from other states purchased deli meats or cheeses from other delis.

Investigators do not believe that NetCost Market delis are the only source of illnesses because some sick people in the outbreak did not shop at a NetCost Market. A contaminated food likely introduced the outbreak strain of Listeria into delis in multiple states.

WGS showed that bacteria from sick people’s samples are closely related genetically. This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from the same food.

In 2021, health officials in New York state and New York City found the outbreak strain of Listeria in several environmental and food samples:
• Environmental samples from a NetCost Market deli in Brooklyn
• Several open packages of mortadella and ham that were sliced at the same NetCost Market deli in Brooklyn
• Sliced salami that a sick person bought from a NetCost Market deli in Staten Island

NetCost Market voluntarily closed the deli temporarily in Brooklyn after New York officials notified them about the sampling results. NetCost Market performed a deep cleaning and then reopened the deli in Brooklyn after further environmental testing did not identify Listeria.

In September 2022, the outbreak strain was found at the same Brooklyn NetCost Market deli; however, the most recent illness with NetCost Market exposure was in October 2021. After a deep cleaning, additional environmental testing did not identify Listeria in the deli.

CDC advises people at higher risk of severe Listeria illness to not eat meat or cheese from any deli counter, unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot.

What are symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes?

· Fever

· Muscle ache

· Nausea or diarrhea

What are the symptoms if the infection spreads to the nervous system?

· Headache

· Stiff neck

· Confusion

· Loss of balance

· Convulsions

Pregnant women experience mild, flu-like symptoms. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, infection of the newborn, or stillbirth.

The Marler Clark Listeria lawyers have unmatched experience representing victims of Listeria. Our Listeria lawyers have represented thousands of victims of notable Listeria outbreaks such as the 2011 Jensen Farms Listeria outbreak where over 33 people died, the 2010 Sangar Fresh Cut Produce Listeria outbreak, the 2007 Whittier Farms Listeria outbreak, the 2012 Marte brand Fescolina ricotta salata cheese Listeria outbreak, the 2016 Dole Lettuce Listeria outbreak and the 2017 Vulto Creamery Listeria outbreak. We are presently assisting in a Listeria outbreak in South Africa that sickened over 1,000 and killed over 200.

Marler Clark has represented countless Listeria victims and is the only firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on plaintiff foodborne illness litigation.

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