Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigating Listeria outbreak

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has opened an investigation into an outbreak of Listeria, an infectious bacteria that the agency said is linked to deli counter meats and has killed two people and hospitalized 26 others across 12 states, including New York.

The CDC said the fatalities were in Illinois and New Jersey.

Most infected people reported to agency investigators that they ate meats sliced at deli counters. The CDC said Listeria monocytogenes easily spreads among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food, and is not killed by refrigeration.

The CDC had not recalled any products and continues gathering information to determine specific deli meats that may be contaminated, the agency said in a news release. The agency said it has no information to indicate people are getting sick from prepackaged deli meats.

According to the CDC’s website, anyone who is pregnant, aged 65 or older or has a weakened immune system is more likely to become “seriously ill” if they contract the disease, as it could spread to other parts of their body, resulting in a severe condition known as invasive listeriosis.

The CDC advises people in these “higher risk” categories to avoid eating meats sliced at deli counters unless they are reheated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, or “steaming hot,” to kill Listeria. These foods should cool before they are eaten. The CDC also recommends these individuals clean their refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have been touched by counter-sliced deli meats.

According to the CDC’s website, those who are "higher risk" and contract Listeria may experience fever, muscle aches and tiredness. In pregnant women, the bacteria can also cause pregnancy loss, premature birth and serious illness or death in newborns. Those who are not pregnant may also experience headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or seizures.

The CDC advises those at "higher risk" who experience any of these symptoms to immediately contact their doctor.

According to a map of the Listeria outbreak on the CDC’s website, there were seven cases in New York. The agency did not immediately release where in New York State it confirmed these cases and did not respond to a request for comment.

Listeria cases have also been reported in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, according to the agency's map.

According to the CDC’s website, it typically takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak. The first of 28 people infected from the Listeria outbreak got sick on May 29.

According to the agency's website the outbreak may not be limited to the 12 states with known illnesses, and the true number of sick people is probably higher than the number reported because some recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria.