Since July 2024, the USDA and CDC have been investigating an outbreak of Listeria infections tied to a Boar’s Head facility. On August 28th, the CDC added additional cases now totaling 57 hospitalizations and 9 deaths. Boar’s Head has recalled all meat products from that facility (product list). The USA Food Safety and Inspection Service is also recommending that sellers sanitize all food and non-food surfaces according to their Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail Delicatessens.
What was recalled?
- ALL deli products with “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.
- Boar’s Head Ready-to-Eat Liverwurst Products
What is Listeria?
Listeria is a facultative, intracellular, gram-positive rod that can be found in water, soil, and animal feces.
What are the symptoms of infection?
According to the CDC, infection presents as:
- Fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. More severe symptoms include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.
- Symptoms usually start within 2 weeks after eating contaminated food but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after.
Who is at highest risk?
People age 65 and older and those with weak immune systems often have infection that results in hospitalization and sometimes death.
Those who are pregnant are at highest risk for pregnancy loss, premature birth, or life-threatening infection in their newborn. Thankfully, the CDC notes that “the risk of invasive listeriosis after exposure to L. monocytogenes is very low. Exposure is common, but disease is rare. A study related to a 2011 outbreak linked to cantaloupe estimated the attack rate at roughly 1 case per 10,000 pregnant persons who ate the implicated cantaloupe.“
How is it treated?
Treatment depends on the severity of the infection. Most people will recover from intestinal symptoms without antibiotics. Antibiotics are recommended only for those at high risk or those with severe illness. Oral therapy include ampicillin or amoxicillin. IV therapy is reserved for patients with fever and severe symptoms and includes ampicillin and gentamicin for 14 to 21 days. The CDC and American College of Obstetricians and Gynceologosts have published guidelines for treatment:
- CDC – Caring for Patients with Listeriosis
- ACOG – Management of Pregnant Women With Presumptive Exposure to Listeria monocytogenes
For more:
Febrile Infants Aged ≤60 Days: Evaluation and Management in the Emergency Department
Emergency Department Management of Adults With Infectious Meningitis and Encephalitis
Sam Ashoo, MD, FACEP, is board certified in emergency medicine and clinical informatics. He serves as EB Medicine’s editor-in-chief of interactive clinical pathways and FOAMEd blog, and host of EB Medicine’s EMplify podcast. Follow him below for more…
