Deli Meat Listeria Outbreak Has Hand In Death Of South Carolinans and Tennesseans

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday that a Listeria outbreak linked to deli meats in has been found to be the cause of 14 new illnesses and five additional deaths.

That brings the total so far to 57 cases, all of which required hospitalization with eight fatalities overall.

The outbreak is now the largest listeriosis incident since the 2011 cantaloupe-associated outbreak which affected 147 people in 28 states. 

The five most recent deaths in the current outbreak happened in Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, and South Carolina, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Listeria is a bacteria that will survive on surfaces like meat slicers or in foods, even at refrigerated temperatures. The only way to kill the bacteria is to heat the food to high temperatures.

The CDC reports that thier data shows many meats sliced at delis, including Boar's Head, are contaminated with Listeria, causing illness.

See the full Boar's Head recall list here.

The CDC recommends avoiding consuming recalled deli meats and suggests consumers check for any remaining recalled products, as they can have a long shelf-life.

Some products have sell-by dates ranging into October of this year.

Read more at CNN