NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — When a professor of biological science at Old Dominion University heard that Boar’s Head, a Jarratt, Virginia company famous for its deli meats, was the source of a listeria outbreak, he wasn’t surprised.
“With deli meat, it’s a huge problem,” Rishi Drolia said in a Monday morning interview. “It has a unique ability to survive really harsh conditions.”
The Maryland Health Department first found listeria last month in Boar’s Head liverwurst, but then the recall expanded to a total of 71 products.
The Virginia Department of Health confirmed that a third person has now died, this one in its Eastern Region, which compromises essentially the entire Virginia portion of the WAVY viewing area. The department withheld most information about the victim regarding gender and hometown for privacy reasons, other than to say the person was 65 or older.
Refrigeration or warm temperatures won’t kill listeria, and even the best protective measures don’t always work.
“Even though you are following the right sanitization practices, cleaning the equipment, the knives,” Drolia said, describing how listeria can prevail in the preparation and handling of meats.
Listeriosis targets the liver and spleen at first, and if you have a compromised immune system or are pregnant, then the next targets are the brain and the placenta.
The symptoms of listeriosis include fever, diarrhea, muscle pain, cramping and bloating. In addition to three people who have died from the outbreak, 43 have been hospitalized.
The groups most at risk for advanced cases, known as systemic listeriosis, include the young, the old, those who are pregnant, and those who are immuno-compromised.
Drolia said pregnant women are 10 to 20 times more susceptible than the average person. He advises cooking any meat to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees to kill listeria.
Boar’s Head is advising anyone with the meat involved in the recall to discard it or return it to where it was purchased for a full refund.
