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Number killed by Boar's Head deli meat rises to EIGHT amid nationwide listeria outbreak
Five more people have died from a food poisoning bug after consuming popular deli meats sold nationwide.
The victims were from Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico and South Carolina and had all consumed Boar's Head products contaminated with the bacteria listeria.
In total eight people have died during the outbreak, the largest since 2011 linked to cantaloupe, and 57 have been hospitalized, with nearly 4,000 tons of meat recalled.
The CDC is urging people to check inspection labels before consuming any Boar's Head products, since some have sell by dates up to October 2024.
In total eight people have died during the outbreak and 57 have been hospitalized, with nearly 4,000 tons of Boar's Head deli meat recalled
Recalled products have the codes EST. 12612 or P-12612 inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.
The CDC recommends people who bought the affected products throw them away or contact stores about returns.
Customers are urged to clean their refrigerators, containers, and surfaces that may have touched sliced deli meats.
The health agency previously recommended not eating deli meats unless they were reheated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit - a temperature high enough to kill the bacteria.
Keeping the meats cold does not eliminate listeria.
The bacteria can persist on surfaces for weeks and get into slicing tools and countertops that are not deep-cleaned regularly.
Listeria — which kills about one in five of those it infects — is particularly dangerous for the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions.
These individuals have weaker immune systems, meaning they may be less able to fight off an infection.
Symptoms can start a few days to 10 weeks after infection, and initially begin as fever, chills, stomach cramps and diarrhea.
But as the infection progresses patients can also suffer from convulsions, loss of balance and confusion.
The bacteria may prove fatal if it spreads into the blood and causes sepsis — where organs start to shut down — or infects nerves and the lining of the brain causing encephalitis — inflammation of the brain's lining.
Infections can be treated using antibiotics, which are given intravenously and can kill off the bacteria.
One victim of the outbreak was 88-year-old father-of-three and Holocaust survivor Günter 'Garshon' Morgenstein.
Gunter 'Garshon' Morgenstein, a father-of-three from Newport, Virginia, is pictured above with his wife Peggy. He died after suffering from a listeria infection
Sue Fleming, 88, and her husband Patrick, 76, are suing deli meats manufacturer Boar's Head and the shop where they purchased the meat after Ms Fleming became 'deathly ill' from listeria
Last month, days after eating a Boar's Head sausage, he became fatigued and started to have trouble breathing — and was rushed to the hospital.
Doctors said he was infected with listeria, and had developed meningitis as a result, causing deadly brain inflammation.
Another woman from Missouri fell 'deathly ill' after eating a common deli sausage linked to a nationwide listeria outbreak.
Now, Sue Fleming, 88, who lives with her husband Patrick, 76, is suing its manufacturer.
In June, Ms Fleming ate a Boar's Head liverwurst after buying it from her local grocery store.
But in the days that followed she says she developed nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramps, before suffering from shaking and whole-body aches.
She was rushed to hospital, where tests confirmed a listeria infection — according to the lawsuit. She spent nine days in intensive care and 11 in rehab, but claims she still suffers from neurological symptoms and is yet to regain her full strength.
The couple are now suing Boar's Head for more than $25,000 to cover medical and legal costs, and damage to 'enjoyment of life' and their marital relationship.