At least two people have died and 28 have been hospitalized inaListeriaoutbreaklinked to sliced meats at deli counters in the Midwest and Eastern United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As federal investigators try to determine the specific deli meat that may be contaminated, the CDC is advising pregnant people, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals to avoid eating sliced deli meats or reheat them at home to 165°F or until steaming hot.

No recall has been issued yet. The CDC said there’s no evidence that people got sick from prepackaged deli meats.

The CDC saidListeriacan spread easily among deli equipment, surfaces, hands, andfood.The bacteria can survive refrigeration, which is why heating deli meats to a high enough temperature is essential to kill the germs.

An estimated 1,600 people getListeriainfections in the U.S. each year, and about 260 die.

Listeria monocytogenesare bacteria that can causediarrhea, abdominal cramps, and flu-like symptoms such as fever and fatigue.

Most healthy adults infected withListeria—including pregnant people—may experience no symptoms at all or only mild symptoms. However,Listeriainfection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

Symptoms of a mild intestinalListeriainfection typically appear within 24 hours after eating contaminated food and last for one to three days. An invasive case—meaning it has spread beyond the gut—could appear one to four weeks after eating contaminated food but may start as late as 70 days later.

This is the secondListeriaoutbreak in the summer. In June,over 60 ice cream products were recalledbecause the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discoveredListeriaduring sampling, but no illness was reported.

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeriaoutbreak linked to meats sliced at delis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeria(listeriosis): investigation details.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeria(listeriosis).

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeriaoutbreak linked to meats sliced at delis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeria(listeriosis): investigation details.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeria(listeriosis).

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeriaoutbreak linked to meats sliced at delis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeria(listeriosis): investigation details.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeria(listeriosis).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeriaoutbreak linked to meats sliced at delis.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeria(listeriosis): investigation details.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeria(listeriosis).

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