ONFIRE-TV.com – A sample of deli meat collected in Maryland tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, state health officials announced Friday. In a statement, the Maryland Department of Health said it issued a consumer advisory for Boar’s Head ready-to-eat liverwurst and other deli meat products due to possible Listeria contamination, saying consumers should not currently eat the products.
State health officials said further testing of the sample — an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store — is needed, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, to determine whether it’s linked to an outbreak investigation of Listeria monocytogenes infections reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The listeria outbreak was first reported last week. Since late May, 34 people were sickened across 13 states — including six in Maryland — with all but one hospitalized. Two people died — in Illinois and New Jersey.
Symptoms of Listeriosis may include fever, muscle aches and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. After exposure, symptoms usually appear within three days to 10 weeks, but most often within three weeks. Anyone who experiences symptoms are advised to immediately speak with a health care provider.
An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Six Marylanders have been identified with a known illness as of July 19, according to MDH.
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