UPDATED October 24, 2020- Pritzker Hageman Listeria lawyers are accepting illness and wrongful death cases associated with the deli meat Listeria outbreak announced on October 23, 2020 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you’ve suffered an illness or the wrongful death of a family member in connection with this outbreak, please contact our Listeria Team for a free consultation.
Contact the Pritzker Hageman Listeria Team
Phone: 1-888-377-8900 | Text: 1-612-261-0856
The illnesses in this outbreak have been reported from Florida, Massachusetts and New York. One person in Florida has died. During interviews with health officials, the people sickened reported eating salami, mortadella, prosciutto or other Italian-style deli meats in the weeks before they became ill. They recalled purchasing these meats prepackaged and freshly sliced at deli counters at multiple locations.
All 10 people sickened in this outbreak were hospitalized One of them died.
Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne pathogen, grows well in cold temperatures. So, contaminated meat in a deli case could cross-contaminate meats and cheeses stored nearby or sliced on the same slicer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) is conducting traceback investigations to determine which company supplied the contaminated products. But the public disclosure of brands, companies or stores is not required to file a lawsuit. If there is evidence that demonstrates a link between the contaminated product and the illness, a claim can be filed.
2019 Deli Meat and Cheese Listeria Outbreak
Last year, another Listeria outbreak linked to deli meats and cheeses was announced by the CDC. That outbreak, which had been ongoing for three years, also included 10 illnesses and one fatality. The illnesses were reported from Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The people sickened in that outbreak reported eating meats and cheese sliced at deli counters in the weeks before they became ill. The outbreak strain was identified in samples of meat sliced at a deli, and from deli counters in multiple retail locations in New York and Rhode Island. However, USDA FSIS said it did not have enough evidence to narrow down which product was the source of contamination and would not release brand names or the names of stores or even the type of meat or cheese associated with the outbreak.
Symptoms of a Listeria infection
Symptoms of a Listeria infection can take as long as 70 days to develop. They include headache, stiff neck, fever, muscle aches, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Among pregnant women, Listeria can cause miscarriage and stillbirth.
The CDC advises pregnant women, seniors, people with underlying health conditions and others at elevated risk of developing a Listeria infection to avoid eating deli meats unless they are heated to an internal temperature of 165°F.
If you are part of this outbreak and would like a free consultation with an experienced Listeria lawyer, please contact the Pritzker Hageman Listeria Legal Team. We have represented clients in every major Listeria outbreak in the U.S. You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.