How to find out if your state is affected by the biggest listeria outbreak since 2011

A massive listeria outbreak traced to the Boar’s Head processing plant in Jarratt, Virginia continues to claim lives across the United States. If you ever eat deli meat, it’s a good idea to check to see if your state was affected by the outbreak and subsequent recall.

Fifty-seven people have been hospitalized since May 2024 with a deadly bacterial infection caused by listeria, a hardy bacteria that survives both refrigeration and freezing. Tragically, nine of those victims have died. According to the CDC, about 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year, with 260 of those people passing away. It can take up to 10 weeks after consumption for a person to display any symptoms, making it hard to trace the origins in many cases.

As a result, Boar’s Head officials recalled more than 7 million pounds of meat, which includes everything produced at their Virginia plant during the time period in question. Included in the recall were the liverwurst products that started it all, plus many others intended to be sliced at deli counters and sold prepackaged as retail bacon, sausage, and hot dogs. You can find a complete list of recalled products here.

Which states have been affected by the outbreak?

Illnesses were reported starting in late May and have continued into August, making this the largest outbreak in the U.S. since 2011. U.S. Agriculture Department officials say the products were originally distributed nationwide as well as to the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Panama.

On August 28, the CDC announced the outbreak had spread to five new states, bringing the total number of states affected to 18. So far, New York is the hardest hit with 17 sick people and one death. All of the states with documented listeria cases are: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The CDC has a complete map of the outbreak here.

The first three deaths occurred in Illinois, New Jersey, and Virginia. The nine people who died lived in these states: Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina (2), Tennessee, and Virginia.

What to do next

The CDC wants everyone to look in their refrigerators for any recalled Boar’s Head products. On their website, they urge people to “Look for ‘EST. 12612’ or ‘P-12612’ inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels. Some of the products have sell-by dates into October 2024.”

Do not eat any of these products. Instead, throw them away or return them to the store for a full refund. You should also clean anything that the contaminated meats touched inside the fridge, including other products, jars, and containers.