The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a New York resident is among nine people who have died from a nationwide listeria outbreak linked to Boar's Head deli meat.
The latest food poisoning death toll is: Federal Health Authorities Wednesday's outbreak of listeria was the largest in the United States since 2011.
The CDC added that at least 57 people have been hospitalized so far in connection to the outbreak.
Details about the identity or whereabouts of the New York resident who died have not been released.
The other recent deaths were reported in South Carolina, Florida, New Mexico and Tennessee. Three deaths were previously confirmed in Illinois, New Jersey and Virginia, according to the CDC.
Meanwhile, a total of 17 cases of listeriosis are currently under investigation across New York state, eight of which are in New York City alone, according to the state Department of Health.
Other New Yorkers who have become sick from the infection live in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, and Dutchess, Cayuga, Greene, Onondaga and Oswego counties in upstate New York.
“All currently known cases are hospitalized,” the health department said in a statement. “One death has been reported in New York. To protect the privacy of the families, no further information can be released.”
Christopher Sadowski
This comes after Boar's Head, a 119-year-old family-owned business headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, recalled 7 million pounds of deli meat last month after reported illnesses began to spike.
The problem first came to light when samples of Boar's Head liverwurst taken by Maryland health officials tested positive for Listeria, and further testing revealed that the type of bacteria was the same as the strain that causes illness in humans.
Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, chills and headache, and in some people it can take up to 10 weeks for symptoms to appear.
Listeria infections are especially dangerous for the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.
With post wire
