ITHACA, N.Y. — While it does not appear Tompkins County has been directly impacted by a recent recall of Boar’s Head deli meats, the county’s Whole Health Department has issued a warning for consumers to throw out certain products to avoid potential listeria infection.
There have been 34 cases of listeria reported in the outbreak so far, 12 of which have been in New York and one that was found in a neighboring county according to a release from Tompkins County Whole Health. Of the 34 cases, 33 have required hospitalization and there have been two deaths as a result. There have not been any listeria cases reported in Tompkins County linked to the outbreak so far.
“The number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the release states. “This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for listeria.”
Boar’s Head, a nationally distributed deli meat provider, initiated a recall of about 207,508 pounds of meat products as a result of the listeria discovery, which occurred in meat produced between June 11 and July 17.
The full list of recalled products includes ready-to-eat liverwurst and packages of “Virginia ham old fashioned ham,” “Italian Cappy style ham,” bologna, beef salami and more. The entire list of products subject to the recall is available through the United States Department of Agriculture.
Listeria can cause fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, neck stiffness, confusion, loss of balance and seizures. People who are pregnant may not experience severe symptoms themselves, but the infection does pose a serious threat to fetuses.
If you appreciate our coverage, please consider making a donation to show your commitment to reliable local journalism.
The post County officials warn of deli meat-linked listeria outbreak appeared first on The Ithaca Voice.