8 deaths linked to recalled Boar's Head deli meat, CDC says

Anywhere, U.S.A — The death toll linked to a massive recall of Boar's Head deli meats last month has risen to eight people, according to federal health officials. 

Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that meats sliced at delis, including Boar's Head brand liverwurst, are contaminated with listeria. The germ  can remain on surfaces, like meat slicers, and food, even at refrigerated temperatures. It can also take up to 10 weeks for some people to have symptoms of listeriosis. 

The new food poisoning toll includes two deaths in South Carolina plus one each in Florida, New Mexico and Tennessee, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Three deaths were previously confirmed in people who lived in Illinois, New Jersey and Virginia.

All the recalled deli meats were removed from stores and are no longer available, Boar’s Head officials said on the company’s website. The products were distributed to stores nationwide, as well as to the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama, U.S. Agriculture Department officials said.

The CDC has urged people not to eat recalled deli meats, some of which have sell by dates into October 2024.